Getting Warmer Higher Rating! M
by Wiccamage
Summary: AU Dark Horizons. After defeating the XMen, Apocalypse takes Rogue as his queen. Will a certain Cajun be able to save her before the unthinkable happens? Ch17-Rogue and Remy get closer; Toad and Fred get a delivery; Piotr is sweet...
1. Chapter 1: So It Begins

This is a fanfic based on the events of Dark Horizons I & II.

NEW STUFF:

Um, so yeah. For those of you who have seen this story before, or if it looks familiar…

PLEASE DON'T SHOOT!!!

After it took me like, two years to update the last chapter (and I received numerous death threats) I was a little scared to come back to this story, but rest assured I have died a slow and painful death for leaving this little nugget unfinished.

At least part of me has.

So I'm now 22 instead of 18 and am much matured and changed by life. Plus, I'm married and getting a house. I'm spending my time at work right now during lunch to update these four unfinished stories of mine because I get tired of myself.

I've slightly revamped the pre-existing chapters and I'm taking pen to paper during my "non computer hours" and slowly mapping out this story. It will take me longer than simply typing it, but so far it's working better.

So, I can promise that unless something catastrophic happens in the next few months, this story WILL BE FINISHED!!! Hopefully by Christmas, but I'm going to be realistic.

So, for all of you future or very, very, very old fans, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE give me another chance!?!? I'm begging you?? I PROMISE I'll be good this time!

So, keeping with promises, here is the recently re-worked 1st chapter of "Getting Warmer"

SUMMARY: AU to Dark Horizons. Instead of walking away and vanishing to Egypt, Apocalypse has a different agenda for world domination and the key to all of his potential power (and destruction) is Rogue.

PAIRINGS: Dude, it's ROMY!! Duh?? And Kitty/Peter/Lance (and maybe Kurt) triangle. If you have any suggestions as to how these two/three dashing men can vie for Kitty's affections, please email me. I've never had men fight over me before, and I hate Desperate Housewives, so yeah. I need help here.

RATING: T for violence, $# blowing up everywhere, language and some minor nudity

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Wolverine snarled at the man looming over the X-Men. Leaning over without taking his eyes from Apocalypse, he checked Rogue's breathing and pulse quickly, releasing a sigh of relief when he found a weak but steady rhythm against his gloved fingers.

Snarling, the Canadian unsheathed his claws and lunged at Apocalypse. The rage was rapidly surging through his veins, and he wanted nothing more than to rip the mutant's throat out for hurting his Stripes.

Halfway en route to the man's jugular however, Logan suddenly found himself gripped in the air and held up by an invisible force. He growled viciously at the mutant holding him there and locked the mega-mutant in a death stare. His furious glare was cut short, however, when he was shot up the short stairwell and straight into Blob and Quicksilver.

The X-Men watched from the top of the stairs, stunned as the man grinned at Wolverine's fury and subsequent crash. A soft moan was heard from below Apocalypse's hovering feet and the three teams gazed down at Rogue's semi-unconscious form.

The power hungry mutant began to reach down to collect Rogue when Cyclops belted out to the teams. "Stop him now! He can't get to Rogue!"

The three collective teams rushed down the stairs simultaneously. Those with close range powers sprinted downward, intending to take the fight up close, while Cyclops, Gambit, Pyro, Jean, Bobby, Magneto, and Xavier all used their powers simultaneously from above the others.

Cyclops was the first to fire an attack against the Apocalypse, but his optic blast never connected. Apocalypse haulted the ray mid-shot with his newly gained telekinesis and then in retaliation emitted his own optic blast, knocking the young leader across the stone floor and into a wall.

With a nervous glance towards Scott, Iceman - followed by Pyro - charged forward. Bobby iced up, ejecting a beam of frozen water from his arms as Pyro rocketed up his portable flamethrowers.

The two mutants shot off their opposing elements within rapid succession of each other. As they did though, Apocalypse countered Bobby's icy blasts with his own, and used Pyro's fire manipulation to chase off the rest of the approaching mutants.

Shadowcat was caught off guard by the flames, and barely managed to phase through them. She gasped in pain, however, as her left arm seared from the heat. She looked down to see the left sleeve and shoulder of her uniform melted away and the skin underneath badly burned and blistering.

Gritting her teeth against the pain, she charged forward regardless of her condition. Rogue was her closest friend, and the brainy valley girl was not about to leave her in the clutches of a mad man.

Nightcrawler had also narrowly avoided the hungry flames before he ported away from danger. With a characteristic 'bamf' he reached his self-proclaimed sister's side instantaneously. As he reached down to retrieve her though, spikes shot out from above him, intercepting the furry blue mutant.

Kurt looked up quickly, "Vhat?" but he was thrown away from Rogue and straight into Kitty, who was also attempting to rescue the gothic mutant. Shadowcat was unable to phase quickly enough, being somewhat distracted from her burns, and the two mutants barreled into Hank with the force of a small cannon. The three X-Men were deposited up the stairs along with the heap of other unconscious bodies.

Magneto used his powers of Magnetism to hurtle various metallic objects left and right towards Apocalypse. The more powerful mutant merely cackled as he was barraged with exploding cards, metal bars, and telekinetic blasts.

He stopped laughing maniacally however, when Xavier used his telepathy to try and subdue the madman.

"I grow tired of this." He stated simply, and with a wave of his hand swept all of the mutants up and into the main hall.

The teams recovered quickly enough, but Apocalypse hindered them further by using Avalanche's powers to shake them off their feet. Before they could get up again, he used Xavier's powers to emit a physic blast to all who remained conscious.

Various groans and screams were heard as the mutants fell into darkness one by one.

The only mutant who seemed only slightly affected by the surge however, was a certain red-eyed Cajun. Gambit quickly sighed in relief, confused, yet thankful that his mental shields had protected him whilst the others (including Xavier) lay unconscious.

Apocalypse, certain that all the mutants had been neutralized, reached down for a now fully unconscious Rogue and cradled her in his arms. Using the telekinesis, he levitated up the stairs and towards the ship Xavier and the others had used to get to the temple.

As they reached the top landing though, he stumbled and fell from the air as the last ounce of his acquired telekinetic powers drained from him.

Mesmero quickly rushed up to his master and aided him along.

"Get in the ship, my lord." Mesmero prompted. "It will take us away from here where they will not find us."

With that, Mesmero lifted Rogue away from Apocalypse and placed her over his shoulder, using his other arm to support his weakening master.

Gambit, sensing their intentions, snuck out of sight and headed for his own destination. Since it seemed the others were not going to be of much help, he knew he would have to save the girl on his own.

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TO BE CONTINUED!!!

Hope y'all liked that, there's more to come REALLY, REALLY SOON, I PROMISE!!!

Email me if you have any questions, suggestions or concerns. Or if you simply don't believe me about updating.


	2. Chapter 2:  A Smashing Defeat

Here's the second chapter – just be thankful I had already prewritten this bad boy because otherwise it might not have gone out. And this time it's not even me procrastinating.

Just to let you know, the "once a week" posting is probably going to become a rarity until after Labor Day weekend (aka September 3). We're moving in to our new house on the 1st and now we've got a funeral to help plan/attend. My cousin Samantha, 19 years old, died over the weekend from Diabetes. 19. Just had her birthday in June and she was getting married in three weeks, too.

If you or anyone you know is a diabetic, please don't mess around with this stuff. Watch the people you love if they're not taking care of themselves. Don't say "I don't want to get involved, he/she will be fine," 'cause it's B.S.

Sammy was in and out of the hospital constantly for not taking her meds and eating right and now everyone in my family wishes we had gotten involved because if we had, she might not be dead right now.

So yeah. Watch out for each other okay? Who knows what might be prevented by simply showing someone you care and taking the time to listen… I know I wish I had.

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Logan was the first to come out of the telepathy-induced stupor. He shook his head vigorously as the headache began to fade. Most of the kids were still out cold, but a few others were beginning to awaken and he surveyed the damage as he tried to remember what had just happened.

As Wolverine's head cleared fully, however, he jumped up and bolted down the stone staircase in search of Rogue. He was desperate to find her – to find some evidence that she was safe and alive despite Apocalypse's misuse. His heart pumped faster and faster as he sprinted across the room and down into the heart of the tomb. Dread had settled within his bones and he slowed as he reached the last few stairs. Coming upon the landing, he stooped down to gather up the precious bundle that lay at his feet.

He stood, a single purple glove cradled in his palm, and dread was replaced with rage as Wolverine finally released his torrent of emotion in a single cry.

"GRRRRAAAARRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!"

His bellow echoed throughout the temple and as it did all those who weren't previously awake jolted upright. The dust and loosened stone chips on the ceiling fell free and the mutants became lightly coated in the debris. The extra noise did not help everyone's thumping headaches, yet no one seemed to mind.

Logan's cry echoed the mood of everyone in the temple. They all felt angry with themselves and Apocalypse, but mostly they grieved for their lost friend.

Ororo's eyes brimmed with tears as she closed them and Kitty turned to Kurt, burying her head in his blue fur. Kurt in return could only rest his arm over his friend's shoulders as the shock of the situation and the loss of his sister gripped him.

Scott held fists at his sides as he turned his ruby gaze to the floor and Jean, seeing blood dripping from her boyfriend's fingers, sluggishly made her way over to him.

The mood was sullen and overcast as if death itself had cast a shadow over the teams. Even Pyro lacked his normal quip as he too was overcome by the blowing defeat.

Hank picked himself off of the floor slowly and retrieved Xavier's wheelchair before helping the Professor onto the seat. Beast never once met Xavier's eyes as he aided the mentor and instead kept his gaze fixated on the floor.

Even the Brotherhood looked downtrodden. Pietro scuffed his shoes against the floor and Lance leaned against the wall in his usual pose. Even he lacked his normal arrogance, however, as he looked around the room at the grieving faces.

Toad sat slumped against a wall, and Blob - breaking the encompassing silence - suddenly threw his fist into a nearby wall. Some of the mutants turned their gaze toward the disturbance while others ignored it.

Wolverine stomped up the stairs then, murder reading clearly in his feral eyes. As he passed Creed however, the cat-like mutant shattered the dreary mood with a simple remark, "Some superhero you make runt. Ya can't even save one of yer own kids."

Wolverine turned his gaze to Sabertooth. The smaller man wanted Apocalypse's blood, but for now, Creed would definitely suffice. With a battle cry, Wolverine lunged for his rival.

Creed had expected retaliation yes, but not of this intensity. The Canadian laid into the other mutant with such passion that he took Sabertooth off guard.

The other Acolytes rushed to help their teammate and the Brotherhood followed suit. The X-Men, now experiencing the anger phase of their grief, also joined the melee of fists and insults.

Magneto and Xavier remained as the only two NOT fighting (which was ironic in itself), and what's more, it seemed that Charles was not even interested in the chaos. He kept his head bowed over folded hands as he sat in his chair silently.

Professor Charles Xavier was known for his patience and understanding. He rarely spoke harshly to any of his students and he had **never** lost his patience.

Until today.

"THAT IS ENOUGH!!!!" The Professor exploded, causing every single body in the room to freeze in pure awe and fear. Even Wolverine and Sabertooth ceased their fighting - with a little help from Magneto of course.

All eyes turned to Xavier as he spoke again in a more calming tone, "I know you are all angry and upset. That is understandable. However, taking out your frustrations on each other will NOT solve the problem."

All heads were lowered in shame as each person contemplated the Professor's words.

"I agree that this incident has been a blow to all of you, but you must not let that," he was cut off by Scott of all people, who had been slowly simmering to a boil in the back of the room.

"Get us down?" he asked in a sarcastic and spiteful tone. Jean, and many others, simply gawked at their normally respectful and rule-abiding team leader.

Cyclops continued with a sneer in his voice, "excuse me Professor, but Rogue was just kidnapped - for the second time today. Apocalypse is now free - because of us - and we just got our asses thoroughly kicked; so why would we possibly be upset?"

A few gasps were heard throughout the crowd and Lance let out a low whistle before leaning over to Pietro, "I gotta give that guy some credit. I don't think even Magneto would go that far." Pietro simply nodded, too stunned to reply.

Apparently the Professor was a little taken back as well because it took him a few seconds to recover his voice.

He cleared his throat slightly - which was not a good sign - and replied to Scott's 'outburst.' "Be that as it may Cyclops, our main focus must now lie in finding and rescuing Rogue. In addition to that, we must also care for our wounded," he said, motioning to Kitty and Bobby, both of whom had been badly burned during the battle.

"And what of Apocalypse, Charles? He defeated us all with a mere wave of his hand. If we should find him, what is to keep him from killing the lot of us?" Magneto interjected.

The Professor pondered the question for a moment and closed his eyes, "he is weakening."

"How? Why?" Magneto asked again forcefully.

"He is somehow using Rogue as a source of power. It seems that his absorption of her abilities only lasts as long as they normally would for her."

Scott interrupted again, concern now lacing his voice, "you mean he's draining her like a battery?" His voice rose as he asked, making everyone aware of the full gravity of the situation.

Xavier simply nodded, unable to speak.

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Again, sorry this bad boy is so short, but it hasn't really been the best time. I'll try to update when I can and with whatever I have, but I can't promise any real meat until we all recover.

I'll do shout outs and individual thank you's later, but for now, I really appreciate all of you who reviewed and especially for adding me to your favorites lists. Thanks to Lucia to for the "quote" help.

Love and Light,

Wiccamage


	3. Chapter 3: The Real Rogue

Getting Warmer Chapter 3

First I just want to say thank you to everyone for your wonderful words of support and encouragement. Secondly, thanks to the rest of you for sticking with this story throughout the years and for not threatening to draw and quarter me for taking so long. Thirdly, Holy Smoking Hot Pants Batman! Thanks to all of you who added me as a Favorite Author or Story!! I'm absolutely stunned and humbled by your appreciation.

Sorry for being a few days late with this one, hopefully it will be one of the last "Short" chapters. Someone explained to me that they generally will not open a story that has 25+ chapters and I don't want mine to turn into such a thing, either. However, I will say that if you have not read "Giddy" or "Love of My Life" by Seven Sunningdale, you are missing out on one heck of a thrill ride. They may be novelettes (seriously, one story is probably 1000 pages – rivals Harry Potter!), but who boy howdy is it worth the time. BEST. FANFICS. EVER.!!

Well, without further ado, here's chapter 3. Oh, and I own nothing, I just like to borrow for my own sadistic pleasures…

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**Last chapter in X-Men Evolution: "Getting Warmer"**

_"How? Why?" Magneto asked again, this time with more force._

_"He is somehow using Rogue as a source of power. It seems that his absorption of her abilities only lasts as long as they normally would for her."_

_Scott interrupted again, concern lacing his voice. "You mean he's draining her like a battery?!" His voice rose as he finished the question, making everyone aware of the full gravity of the situation._

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"What do we do, yo?" Todd spoke up suddenly, hopping closer to Xavier.

Freddy too, walked up to the X-Men's leader. "Yeah, we wanna help too."

Kurt scoffed, his tail swishing in annoyance. "Vhy would you vant to help us find Rogue? I thought you hated us."

"Look fuzzy," Lance stepped up into Kurt's face, who in turn tried to make his self a little taller, "she may be on your team now, but she was with us once too."

"A mistake she gladly rectified, Alvers." Scott stepped up to Kurt's defense, certain that the Brotherhood could not be sincere in their concern for Rogue's safety.

Pietro zipped up to Cyclops and stood at Lance's side. "Lance is right," he said evenly, (which was the third "first" of the day) "she was one of the Brotherhood once. She didn't leave 'cause of us, she left because of Mystique. And she's definitely not happier with you dweebs."

"What are you talking about Pietro? Of course she's happier with us!" Kitty intervened, her tone laced with scorn and just a hint of curiosity.

"He's talkin' bout all the stuff she did with us, yo." Todd stood at his full height beside the Brotherhood boys as the two teams had now formed an imaginary line dividing them and creating even more tension in the room. For once though, Xavier did not interfere; he was far too interested in what the other boys had to say about Rogue.

Freddy joined his team and stepped forward slightly to speak his peace. "Rogue may look like a Goth on the outside, but there's a hell of a lot more to her than that. Sure she acts like a badass and ya she kicked our butts every so often, but she ain't always like that, y'know? She's well, she's…"

Blob turned a desperate glance to his teammates as he lost the words. Lance took over, "She's different than what you all think. Heck, I'll bet you guys don't know the first thing about her."

Kitty, Rogue's self-proclaimed best friend, elbowed her way to the front of the crowd, "I know a lot about her. She talks to me all the time." she stated proudly.

"Fine," Lance challenged arrogantly, "what's her favorite color?"

"Pfft. Are you kidding me? It's black." Kitty scoffed as she rolled her eyes.

"Wrong, yo," Todd interrupted, "it's green, same color as her eyes."

"Now look who ze idiot is?" Kurt jumped in eagerly, "Rogue's eyes are gray."

Pietro shook his head. "Not when she's happy, or excited, or royally pissed off. And oh boy do they sparkle when she's on a sugar high." He smiled a bit at the memory.

"Man, I'm surprised you even remember that." Lance pointed out.

"Yeah dude, you were literally running on the walls." Freddy cut in with a smile.

Toad snorted. "Until Rogue tripped ya, and you went face first into the garbage can. Remember that, yo?"

A quick look at Pietro's reddening face told the boys that he did and the three chuckled loudly. They stopped quickly however, when Magneto turned a warning eye in their direction.

Lance began again, "The way she laughed after that, it was just..." This time Lance lost the words as he focused on the memory. The boys all became quiet as they entered a state of nostalgia.

"Beautiful." Freddy finished, and they all nodded - Pietro included.

Scott spoke up again, softly this time, "So why'd she join us if she was so happy with you guys?"

The boys shrugged a little. Lance replied again, "She may like us behind the scenes, but Rogue's really set in what she believes. She felt we were fighting on the wrong side and that tore her up. After she found out about Mystique, she talked to us a few times and tried to get us to join the X-Men too."

"Yeah," Pietro agreed, "didn't take with us though. She was willing to give up a part of her life, part of herself, to fight for good and right and all that junk. We weren't. So sure she got all the creature comforts: big house, big pool…"

Fred cut him off with a droopy tone, "Big kitchen…"

"But the point is," Pietro continued with a glare at Blob, "she's not happy - not really anyhow."

Amidst all the down-trodden faces, Jean spoke up, "What about the nasty attitude though? Are you telling us it's all just a façade?"

"Pretty much, yo. See, Rogue keeps people at a distance to protect 'em. She's kinda… trained herself to be all mean and nasty. But once you break down the barriers, she's a totally different person, ya know?" Todd answered the red head with a half-cocked grin and an assured look in his eyes. It was probably the wisest and most profound idea that ever had or ever would grace his lips.

"Only problem is," Lance continued after a strange look at Todd, "once one barrier falls, she feels like she has to build another one up even stronger to keep it from happening again. She shows even the slightest bit of pleasantness and she goes around bein' all bitchy for the next week to try and maintain the 'goth' image. Almost like she keeps forgetting that she can't be herself."

At this point, Xavier wheeled forward, incredibly curious about what the boys were saying, "So you mean to tell me that she spent six months with you and you managed to break past her 'barriers,' yet she's lived with us for almost four years and we are just now starting to see what the real Rogue is like?"

The four boys nodded lightly and shrugged. They had all lost the courage to speak up now that Xavier was involved.

Logan stood behind Charles and sighed, "Well I'll be damned..."

Xavier, excited about the possibility of a breakthrough with his most challenging student, ignored Logan and began to grill the boys for more information.

"Could you explain how you managed to work past her defenses? Did you use your powers? Did you each try individually, or as a group? When did you..."

"Ahem," Xavier was cut off by Magneto, "I hate to ruin your little epiphany Charles, but we must FIND Rogue and Apocalypse first and we do have injuries to attend to as well." He motioned around the room for effect.

Xavier looked back toward his X-Men with an apologetic expression, "Of course, please forgive me. We can take the X-Jet back to the mansion and get everyone medical attention while I search for Apocalypse and Rogue with Cerebro."

He made a move to go when Beast put a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry to interrupt Professor, but the X-Jet is still in Egypt..."

"Oh yes, of course." The Professor's nose scrunched up subconsciously and Beast had to hold back a smile.

"Well," Logan started, "we got a couple of stolen jets to return to the airport, so we might as well take those."

Xavier nodded in response, as Magneto strode up to the telepath, "If you would like, I can take some of your people back myself."

He emphasized his statement by hovering four metal globes outside the tomb. Logan looked to the Master of Magnetism and agreed with a small grunt and a grimace.

"He's right; those planes don't have enough room for everyone, maybe five each at the max."

Xavier nodded again. "Alright. Storm and Beast, I'll need the two of you to go get the X-Jet. You'll take Jean with you; she'll need to convince airport security not to arrest you."

"Blob and Pietro, you will join them. Sabertooth and Avalanche will load Mystique on the second plane." Magneto barked out, careful to keep Xavier in check without seeming overly suspicious or commanding.

Xavier calculated the math quickly and commanded the remaining X-Men, "Logan, Scott, and I will join the others on the second plane and head to the mansion." He looked to the remaining three X-Men: Kitty, Kurt and Bobby.

Magneto took over once again, "I will bring these three with me, but you will need to double up. I haven't the energy to carry you each individually."

Bobby and Kurt looked to each other and then to Kitty. They obviously didn't want to share a metallic prison with one of the Acolytes, but they couldn't very well leave Kitty with one of them either.

"Rock, paper, scissors for it?" Bobby suggested with a lopsided grin.

They counted out and Bobby pulled rock. Kurt pulled paper and smiled triumphantly.

Groaning, Bobby took a deep breath and bravely strode over to Pyro, "Look, we cancel out each other's powers, so there's no way either one of us will start something, right?" His voice was even and empowered, but the slight quiver in his hand betrayed his cool exterior.

Pyro, however, broke out in a maniacal grin, "Sure mate, wha'ever you say." Suddenly Bobby was unsure of his decision and looked back to Kurt and Kitty desperately.

Kurt began to timidly walk over to Kitty when the valley girl rolled her eyes and grabbed the Russian Acolyte by the hand, "Come on Colossus. You can tell me more about yourself on the ride back."

The large man stuttered incoherently, but allowed himself to be dragged away by the young woman.

Kurt meanwhile, stared open-mouthed and dejected at the retreating pair before turning around and looking to Toad.

The furry mutant stared at the ceiling before crushing his eyes shut fiercely, "Vhy me?!" he muttered, "Vhy is it always me!?!" Nightcrawler then dragged his feet slowly to Toad, but was careful to keep his distance for the time being.

"Is that everyone?" Magneto questioned when everyone was placed in their designated groups.

Xavier looked around briefly and nodded, "Yes, I believe it is."

Magneto glanced around, confused for a moment, but quickly shrugged off the nagging thought in the back of his mind.

The teams were headed toward their modes of transportation when Pyro spun around a few times and yelled out, "Hey! Where the bloody hell's Remy gone off to?"

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WooHoo!!! How exciting! I finished another chapter, yea for me!! The next one shouldn't be far behind, so don't tarry too long.

Again thank you for everyone who reviewed; the more of them I get, the more excited I get about updating and the sooner I do it! Just a little incentive for you to click the lovely blue button!

And I'm really, really hoping the next chapter will be longer!

Love and light,  
Wiccamage


	4. Chapter 4: Discovery

Getting Warmer Rated "T" for some suggested nudity, swearing and blowing the holy cowbells out of everything I can get my fingers on... 

Happy Labor Day Everyone!! This is by far the most Laborious Labor Day I have ever had. My husband and I just moved in to our first home and boy was that challenging. But, despite all the heavy objects and 60 boxes (and we don't even have kids yet!), we managed to get it all in and half of it unpack without a hitch.

Until last night, that is… When, in the midst of putting dinner on the table, I kicked my gi-normous cedar chest and broke my baby toe. My baby driving toe no less. And let me tell you, I don't think I've ever been in that much pain before. I actually cried.

So now, my toenail part points straight downward and kind of flops around a bit while the knuckle part points a little upward and out away from the rest of my foot. It's not fun to try and walk on, but oh well. And of course I'm not going to the doctor because it's not like they can cast a pinky toe…

Anyhow…

This is the fourth chapter thus far and things seem to be going very well so far for me. I think I'm going to combine the original fourth and fifth chapters to make one very long one instead of my shorter stuff.

I don't own anything (BESIDES my incredibly large collection of comic books, action figures, cartoons, etc.), but the ideas (although shared by a few) are all mine. I take full credit for the plot. I love plot! Don't get me wrong I also like mindless fluffy drabble and not so fluffy, steamy drabble, but yeah… where was I??

Oh yeah! I wish to thank Arian and SkyRogue especially for their kind and lengthy reviews. I LOVE long reviews. And thanks again to everyone for all your words of support for my cousin.

Love and light,  
Wiccamage 

P.S. Author's note: IMPORTANT! While I will NOT be making this story a higher rating, I WILL be posting this story in its entirety (WITH THE MATURE SCENES) to my live journal/website whenever I get one. I will also try to post it to Adultfanfiction or whatever that website is, because there is hardly anything good on that site that has a plot…

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Chapter 4

From the darkness, a pair of glaring red eyes blinked rapidly as Remy Lebeau became accustomed to his new surroundings. Immediately after the fight with Apocalypse, Remy had hidden himself under the front panels in the alien ship while the mega mutant had been distracted. Now, Gambit just had to find Rogue and escape without being detected.

Yeah. Cake.

Apocalypse and Mesmero had exited the transporter a little earlier, but realizing that his new foe would probably have many guards around, Gambit had opted to stay inside the cramped console and formulate a plan. Although, it was surprisingly difficult to do so given his contorted position - good thing the ride was short…

He had watched through a crack in the panels as Mesmero carefully lifted a still unconscious Rogue over his shoulder and exited behind his weakened master – thankfully leaving the transporter open to provide Gambit with a hassle-free exit.

After quietly extracting himself from the tiny encasement, Remy noiselessly headed for the same stone doors from which Apocalypse and Mesmero had exited. As his feet silently hit the stone floor, the only evidence the thief left behind was in the dust, which briefly stirred from its centuries of sleep before settling back down for another long nap.

At the end of the hallway, Gambit pressed his hands against one door and felt the stone's rough texture and cool temperature sweep across his fingertips. The door felt similar to red sandstone, grainy and harsh as it scraped across his dexterous digits as he coaxed the door open slightly.

The doors reached up about 10 feet and Gambit quickly deduced that they were made entirely of sandstone, and therefore proved to be one of the heaviest damn things he had ever encountered.

Securing his footing, Remy pushed hard and low on the door and it slowly creaked open by mere centimeters at a time. After a few minutes of this one-way tug-of-war he pulled out his staff to use as a lever against the other door and with his combined pushing and the employ of his adamantium tool, he managed to open the door just enough to peek his head through.

As he extended his head around the door, he was assaulted by the stench of must and ancient, untouched air. 'Like an old museum and a nursing home,' he mused silently as he crunched up his nose.

His eyes, however, were all business as they followed the rows of hallways and doors decorated with Egyptian markings and ancient runes. The vaulted ceiling extended about twenty feet up in an exquisite display of beauty and grandeur. On any other occasion, Gambit would have stopped to admire the breathtaking display of architecture, but this mission had nothing to do with a meaningless hit off some old millionaire.

As he perused the halls stealthily, he noticed that there didn't seem to be any guards around, so he carefully slid through the door and kept his back against the wall. To his right was a long, straight corridor filled with more doors and halls, and to his left was an adjacent hall a little ways down. The intersecting hall on the left cast a beacon of faint light, and indicated to Remy that he would most like find Rogue in that direction.

Racing silently toward the light, Remy forced himself to slow when he reached the end of the corridor and he snuck a glance around the corner. The hallway before him was much different than the one he had just occupied though, and this time Gambit stopped to marvel at the incredible sight before him.

The walls themselves seemed to be comprised of several layers of different types of rock and stone. The black and gray pebbles on the bottom layer indicated that it was most likely granite or some other type of sedimentary rock, and four feet up from there was a limestone paneling which seemed to cover yet another layer of granite. The limestone was again covered in more symbols and ancient languages, and most of the images seemed to be depictions of various battles and conquests.

Prying his attention away from the sight, Remy followed the remainder of the wall and found another hall covered in layers of the red sandstone. The ceiling in the new hallway was again vaulted, but unlike the first, it was much more massive and reached about forty feet in height. The walls and ceiling combined at the top to form a cylindrical type of framework with various stone balconies occurring every 15 feet or so.

A few columns of black marble supported the balconies, and the light Remy had noticed earlier was emanating from long torches hanging along the great hall.

The echoing of heavy footfalls quickly brought Remy out of his trance however, and the thief quickly hid himself behind a nearby marble pillar. Unnoticed, Gambit watched as two mechanic/stone guards—slightly smaller than the ones at the temple in Tibet—lumbered towards the hall he had just occupied and ended up standing directly in front of the doors leading to the transporter.

"Merde," Gambit sighed, taking care not to attract any attention. Turning back toward the main hall, the Cajun considered his options as he watched the dust settle around the guard's footprints. He smirked slightly as he checked his own invisible trail—just one o the main joys of being a thief.

As he turned back to the hall, he checked the number of footprints and counted at least six different sets. Most of which, he noted with a raised eyebrow, were leading to an adjacent corridor across from his position.

Watching and listening for any sign of movement, Gambit took a deep breath and sprinted across the sea-like hallway while being extra cautious about his own footsteps. As he followed the footprints and kept an eye out for the guards, Remy turned down the first hall to his right and took a flight of stairs down to the lower levels of the enormous temple. When the tracks immediately began branching off into other corridors and rooms, Gambit crinkled his nose in disgust and muttered, "Dis gonna take some time."

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"Are-we-there-yet?!" Pietro asked again.

"NOO!!" Jean, Beast, Storm and Blob shouted in unison. It was probably the hundred and first time the speed demon had asked the very same question and the occupants of the small jet didn't know how much more they could take. Even Storm, the ever calm, collected one, was seconds away from seeing if the boy could fly on his own…

"Dude, Pietro, cool it man. It's getting old," Blob sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah-well-I'm-bored," Pietro replied as if that alone gave him all the rights in the world.

"Why don't you read a magazine," Beast replied calmly while pinching the bridge of his nose again. It was much easier fighting these guys than trying to put up with them.

"Cause-I've-already-read-them-all," he retorted, "Twice."

Beast growled.

Pietro then zipped up to the cockpit where Storm was flying the ten-passenger jet. Jean sat in the co-pilot's seat.

"Can't-you-two-girls-make-this-bird-go-any-faster?" Pietro whined again.

"No!"

"Humph!" Pietro crossed his arms and pouted. Then, his mouth got the best of him as he muttered, "Stupid-girls. Can't-even-fly-a-stupid-plane. This-is-man's-job-that's-the-problem."

"Oh dear." Beast could be heard from the back of the plane as he clicked his seatbelt on.

Wide-eyed, Freddy quickly followed suit, although he had to use two seatbelts tied together to get them to fit.

In the cockpit, Storm had officially lost it. Her eyes were going white at a rapid rate and through every window the plane's occupants witnessed the weather going from bright and sunny to "Oh my god, the sky is falling!"

"Ahem," Jean cleared her throat and spoke directly to Storm as if Pietro was no longer behind them. The boy was indeed standing there, but the ever-growing hurricane outside the plane had caused him to freeze all actions and, thankfully, all speech.

"Storm, while I would be, and AM, completely willing to let you hit Quicksilver with a lightning bolt during any other time, I think you'd better let me handle this one," Jean stated simply without ever gazing at the mutant in question.

Pietro's eyes went wide and before he could even finish, "Oh sh—," Jean waved her hand and the boy went flying backward into a row of seats at the very back of the plane. He hit the cushion with a loud thump and an "oomph!" as the breath was knocked from his lungs.

Freddy looked back at his teammate just in time to see the seatbelt buckle clamp down – hard – over Pietro's waist while three airline blankets floated down from the overhead bins. One blanket tied itself tightly around each arm while the third rolled itself into a long rope-like state and promptly shoved itself in Pietro's mouth, tying rather roughly around the back of his head.

Freddy turned back around in his seat, wide-eyed.

"Does this mean I can't have any peanuts?" the boy asked.

"Oh dear," Beast muttered again as he hid his head in his hands.

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Meanwhile on the second plane!

Wolverine, Sabertooth, Avalanche and Cyclops: mortal enemies working together for a common cause. While Professor Xavier would normally leap (well, if he could leap) for joy about this astounding breakthrough, right now it was all giving him a severe headache.

The only person on the plane (besides himself) who was behaving was Mystique, and whereas she was a stone statue at the moment, it wasn't saying much.

Wolverine was flying the plane with Sabertooth in the co-pilot's seat, but between the two of them the plane was lurching and jerking enough to make Mystique sick and as Xavier looked back at her statue, he could swear it had the slightest green tint.

He rubbed his forehead again and tried to massage the growing headache away.

"I could take you anywhere, anytime Summers," Avalanche stated again.

"Why don't you put your money where your mouth is then Alvers?" Cyclops taunted, "Oh wait that's right, you don't have any."

Ouch. Low blow…

"Just because you have everything taken care of for you – you wouldn't last two minutes on your own," Lance retorted.

"Oh I'd last all right, and I'd last a lot longer than you."

"Oh yeah? Like when Mystique dumped you out in the desert and your wittle girlfwend had to come and save you? I heard you cried like a little baby."

"You want a piece of me Alvers, bring it on. I could take your ass right here – no powers necessary," Cyclops came back, standing up from his seat across the aisle.

"Oh yeah?" Lance asked.

"Yeah!" Scott shouted.

Professor Xavier rubbed his temples again.

This was going to be a long flight.

Up front, Wolverine and Sabertooth weren't doing much better.

"Creed if you don't get your filthy hands offa me…," Wolverine growled again.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Logan. I'm not touching you," Sabertooth grinned. One hand hovered over Wolverine's arm and the other over his head.

"You don't have to touch me I can smell your filth everywhere I go. How long's it been since someone gave you a bath? I don't think licking yourself is working."

A really long flight…

Sabertooth snarled, "At least I don't go around playing with little kiddies all day. They've got you neutered. Tell me Logan, how long's it been since you did manly things? Watched a little late night television or had a good lay? You probably haven't been with a woman since what… the fifties?!"

Sabertooth roared with laughter as Wolverine released the plane's steering system and started to lung for his archrival. Meanwhile, the plane also lunged dangerously.

"ENOUGH!!" Xavier shouted for the second time. "If you ALL do not stop this incessant bickering I swear I will fry each of your synapses, leaving you a pile of drool, and I will fly this plane home myself!!" he threatened.

"Sorry, Professor," Scott hung his head in shame.

"Yeah, sorry Chuck," Logan resounded.

There was a blissful few minutes of silence before Xavier heard a small whisper from the cockpit.

"I'm not touching you…"

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Glaring at the dusty footprints, the Cajun decided to pick out the ones that were closest to Mesmero's size and followed them — after all, he HAD been the last one with Rogue, so he very well could have taken her to a dungeon down here. God knows what they had planned for her.

Gambit grimaced at the thought. The poor girl had gone through so much already and now she was probably sitting alone and frightened in some mucky, disgusting prison cell. He could only imagine what kind of unspeakable things Apocalypse would do to Rogue.

The maniac would probably torture her for information, or whatever it was he wanted with her, until she couldn't take it anymore and finally broke down completely. Apocalypse had limitless resources at his fingertips. He could use any number of powers on her – ice, fire, optic blasts, telepathic probes, brute strength or good old fashioned devices like whips and starvation and Chinese water torture. Gambit shuddered and shook himself out of the disturbing thoughts.

But, one good thing that came from the horrible thoughts: it strengthened his resolve to find Rogue and rescue her. He would save the girl even it killed him.

Okay, maybe not if it killed him. She was just some _femme_, right?

Right?

After shaking off the odd sensation that tickled his insides, Gambit quickly resumed his task. He followed the footprints to the next hallway on his right and entered a shorter, smaller corridor running perpendicular to the last. Noticing that Mesmero's miniscule feet disappeared behind the first door on the right, Gambit put his ear against it and tried to make out any discernable sounds. Hearing none, the Cajun gathered his strength (as he recalled the weight of the first doors) and pushed fiercely on the door, intending to barely open it a crack.

To his surprise however, this door gave easily and Remy was unable to slow his inertia quickly enough as he tumbled into the room. Anticipating an attack, he quickly pulled into a ball and rolled across the floor once before springing up with his staff extended.

What he saw however nearly made him drop both his jaw, and his weapon…

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Tada! So another chapter complete and now it is 6:20 a.m. and I must be off to work. Thanks again for the wonderful reviews. Sorry there wasn't much Remy in this chapter, but the whole story IS centered on Rogue and Gambit, so I promise there will be much, much more with them.

Hope you enjoyed and please review!

Love and light,

Wiccamage


	5. Chapter 5: Temptations & Obsessions

Chapter 5

Rating: "T" for violence, suggested nudity, language, etc.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Sometimes people skip over the large paragraphs of dialogue or whatnot, but if you want to know the whole story of what's going on for future chapters, I would really recommend NOT skipping anything here – there's a lot of revealing information toward the end.

Synopsis: AU from Dark Horizons - Rogue is taken by Apocalypse and Gambit must rescue her.

The battle with Apocalypse

Apocalypse's intentions with Rogue – needs her for a power source

The Brotherhood weighs in on Rogue's secret personality

Gambit's POV in Apocalypse's fortress & horrible plane rides.

I just wanted to give a brief synopsis of what occurs in each chapter because I hate when I forget the plot of a story and need to go back and re-read everything to figure out what's going on.

Just a tidbit: there will be very cute scenes in this story where Rogue really 'Warms up' to Remy, but mostly they fight and bicker like all the other comics and cartoons. Remy saves Rogue, Rogue saves Remy, etc., etc.

seastar1234 – As for "Witch" - Darn right and proud of it! 2 - I hope I didn't leave you hangin' too long. 3 - We are enjoying it. And 4 – I will try my hardest to update every Monday despite any and all christenings… XD (laughing hysterically).

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_Last time in Getting Warmer - _

_Anticipating an attack, he quickly pulled into a ball and rolled across the floor once before springing up with his staff extended._

_What he saw however nearly made him drop both his jaw and his weapon._

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As his staff clattered to the floor, Remy stared up at an unbelievably tall, incredibly real, and perfectly _gorgeous _waterfall. The stone façade surrounding the falls, however, was what really kept the Cajun's attention—it was cluttered with jewels and crystals of every shape and size imaginable.

Diamonds, rubies, emeralds and hundreds of other precious stones caused the rock face to shine and sparkle with thousands of colors. After gazing open-mouthed at the sight for some time, he slowly shifted his gaze from one end of the chamber to another and marveled at the enormity and beauty of the rest of the room.

The sandstone walls on either side of the waterfall were nearly invisible through the dense green foliage that grew up the sides and wrapped around the ceiling. Hundreds of flowers bloomed on every vine in a grand mixture of fragrances and colors, filling the room with the pure, sweet scent of spring. Roses, daisies, lilies, and baby's breath grew almost wild throughout the left side of the room, creating a secret-garden look to the extravagant interior.

Adding to the ambience was the enormous circling pond that stemmed from the indoor waterfall. It was nearly the size of an Olympic pool and appeared very deep near the far end—perfect for a relaxing mid-day swim.

Remy stepped closer to the pond's edge and looked into the crisp blue water. The pool was completely clear and obviously went through some sort of filtration process to clean the sand and minerals away. Looking down though, the Cajun noted that there were some rather large fish swimming near the bottom of the pseudo-lake.

Remy bent down with his staff in one hand and felt the water. It was slightly cool, but he could see that an indoor heating system was working deep within the recesses of the pool.

As the water rippled outward from his touch, it left him in a brief trance. Gambit let his thoughts wander and the image of a young woman with white streaks and sad eyes invaded his mind. He let himself fall back to the day he met her and how beautiful she looked with that dazed yet curious expression.

Shaking himself, he turned once again toward the waterfall and gazed wistfully at the luminous diamonds and other precious stones. Walking toward it, he longingly reached out for the priceless gems.

'Wouldn't hurt to take just a few, non?' He thought to himself as he continued toward the stone exterior. Then, just before his hand reached the nearest emerald, the image of Rogue's eyes flitted through his mind again and Remy jerked himself away from the temptation and stuck his digits under the falls.

The nearly freezing waters shocked him back to his senses and he turned carefully away from the dazzling wall. He took a deep, calming breath and exhaled slowly, all the while coaching himself silently. '_Now focus, Remy. We be here for de girl, not for de gold._'

He had to squeeze his eyes tightly to keep his resolve and with slow, steady steps, he walked back toward the monstrous doors. Remy opened the right door a crack and peeked out – making sure no one was around to blow his cover. When he was certain that everything was clear he backed out of the room slowly and carefully pulled the door shut.

When the door fell back into place noiselessly Remy heaved a sigh of relief and turned toward the stairs. He'd never find Rogue by going through every single door in the temple.

As he moved to go up the steps however, the sound of large, loud steps warned him that someone was coming down his escape path. He started to move back toward the waterfall room, but realized that most of the footprints were heading that way and it was likely that the new threat would be coming that way also.

Remy bolted across the hall, making sure he ducked low enough so his duster would sweep away any sign of his footprints, and carefully slid the opposite door open. Gambit did a quick scan of the room for possible problems before silently sliding the massive door shut again.

He had only a crack to go when he spied the large foot of one of Apocalypse's robots and immediately stopped pushing. Even the slightest bit of movement would alert the machine to his presence, so Remy opted to hope that no one noticed the small opening between the doors.

Gambit pressed himself up against the wall and listened for the footsteps to subside, but he tensed when the movement stopped just outside of the doors.

Mesmero's voice filtered through the crack in the doors, and Gambit froze at the sound. If the telepath sensed his presence all was lost. The Cajun cleared his mind and held his breath, hoping that they would go into the waterfall room instead.

When Gambit heard the doors to the waterfall room opening, he let out a relieved sigh and went silently over to the crack to see what was happening.

The doors had been left open to the opposite room and Gambit could see the robot filling up two large buckets of water from the pool. Remy tried to find Mesmero too, but the telepath was currently out of sight. Remy watched the robot finish its task then turn toward the wall of flowers, waiting.

Mesmero soon emerged into Remy's line of vision, but was nearly engulfed by an enormous bouquet of flowers.

The sight of the evil, tattooed mutant holding a beautiful garden bouquet was almost overwhelming and the Cajun had to fight to hold back a laugh.

As the two figures exited the room, Remy moved away from the crack so he wouldn't be seen and cleared his mind again. That didn't stop him from hearing Mesmero grumble about retrieving flowers and food and fancy dresses for Apocalypse, though.

"That brat will be the end of me. Suddenly I become no better than one of these mechanical creatures and am made to fetch trinkets and gifts for that skunk-haired girl," Mesmero grumbled as the monstrous metal minion fought to close the door with a bucket in either hand.

At the mention of Rogue though, Gambit's mind instantly wandered. So much for the torture idea… As her face came into his head though, Mesmero suddenly stopped grumbling.

"Hmm. What is this I sense? A presence perhaps?" Mesmero wondered out loud.

'Merde!' Gambit exclaimed in his head and fought to regain control of his thoughts.

Damn girl and her damn eyes really would be the death of him.

Gambit could hear Mesmero walking toward the hiding place and the Cajun pulled out a stack of cards from his jacket pocket, prepared to charge and throw them at the last crucial second.

Remy steeled himself, waiting for Mesmero to open the doors. Gambit could hear it start to creak as it moved and he took a deep breath as he waited to be discovered.

Instead of the "Ah ha!" he expected though, Gambit heard a yelp of surprise from the other mutant and the door ceased to move. With a quick look at the heaven-sent distraction, Gambit put himself behind the opposite door – the one Mesmero had been opening just moments ago.

The quick peek revealed that the metal robot had turned abruptly and thus had doused Mesmero with a huge gush of water from the bucket, conveniently causing the mind reading man to be deterred long enough for Remy to hide himself and clear his thoughts once again.

"You clumsy lump of metal!! I should have you melted down to scraps for this!" Mesmero fumed.

Without his previous determination or concentration, Mesmero threw open the door again. The telepath made a quick visual sweep of the room and, finding nothing, pulled the door shut with a huff.

Mesmero grumbled and complained all the way up the stairs and only when the two were out of hearing range did Gambit come out from hiding and follow them.

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Gambit was crouched low behind another looming marble column in yet another grand hallway as he silently and imperceptibly followed Mesmero and the robot around the temple and came to a stop outside yet another enormous set of doors.

They had already stopped once for a giant fruit basket filled with goodies from nearly every region in the world, then there was another stop for chocolates and another for dozens fancy dresses. At this point, the robot's arms looked about ready to fall off.

The one dress that had caught Gambit's attention, however, was a beautiful white gown made of satin and silk. It had dozens of blue sapphires embroidered into the bodice and along the short, simple train. There was a long slit rising up the front leg and a low, scooping neckline that left little to the imagination.

It was sleeveless save for two off the shoulder straps attached to which were two strips of white organza that flowed from the back of the strap and were affixed to a pair of golden bracelets.

Among the other accessories was a pair of white heeled sandals, a beautiful golden necklace and a pair of dangling golden earrings (which looked extremely heavy).

And then there was the crown. Can't forget the crown…

Or the diamond ring…

Gambit had visibly gulped when he saw the extravagant ensemble. Apparently Apocalypse didn't mean to make a slave out of Rogue after all. This parade of gifts and grandeur didn't exactly scream torture – at least not to him.

So it was that Gambit was waiting yet again for Mesmero and the mechanical menace to enter yet another room for yet another extravagant present.

"_I wonder what it'll be this time_," he wondered silently, _"a puppy?"_

As he waited nonchalantly for the duo to enter the room though, he was surprised to see a pair of women emerge from the doors instead.

What surprised Gambit more was what they were carrying: a pair of torn black pants, a black sweater and a purple coat. He immediately recognized the coat as Rogue's – complete with spots of blood n either shoulder…

"_Foie de merde!" _he hissed silently.

As the girls turned a corner and disappeared from sight, the double doors suddenly swung open with the aide of another robot.

From his vantage point in the darkened hallway, Gambit raised his sunglasses from his nose (which he had thankfully and conveniently left in his pocket) and took in the scene.

Apocalypse was seated on a large golden throne inlaid with dozens of precious jewels. He sat stoically with his hands folded on his lap and his eyes closed as Mesmero kneeled before him with the large bouquet in his hands.

"You have retrieved all that I asked?" Apocalypse asked casually.

"Y – yes master. It is done," Mesmero stuttered.

"Good," he replied, "you, go put those things in her room. She will be awake very soon now," Apocalypse motioned to the robot.

Mesmero stood again and deposited the flowers in a large golden vase near the throne.

"Did you discover anything from probing her mind my lord?" the servant asked quietly.

Apocalypse took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. His eyes were still closed, but a small, wicked smile formed.

"The girl has great power. In time, her natural abilities will endow her with limitless power and energy. Although, I made a rather curious discovery during my probe as well," he stated as his eyes slowly opened and Gambit quickly replaced his sunglasses so as not to be seen.

Apocalypse continued as he stared in the direction of Rogue's room, "It seems she has another ability I was unable to extract. Had I dug any deeper, her mind would have been damaged permanently."

He frowned, "But no matter, once the ritual is complete, she will be under my control forever and all of her abilities will be mine. With her as my ultimate weapon, I will rule supreme over these vermin – these humans!"

Apocalypse rose as he became more incensed, but then fatigue overtook him and he was forced to sit again.

"She alone has enough power to sustain me," he paused a moment in consternation, "in fact, I fear that once she learns to control them, her powers will rival my own."

"Thankfully, the ritual will render her under my complete control; she will not sleep without my consent. I will control her entire existence, and together we will control the world."

Apocalypse's eyes narrowed suddenly, "you are sure, Mesmero, that nothing can go wrong with the ritual?"

"Nothing will go wrong my lord," Mesmero stated confidently before continuing.

"We will proceed with the ritual as soon as she awakens. You and she will stand before the alter and combine your blood using the dagger. Unfortunately, I cannot maintain my control over her during this time because the strain would destroy her. However, I am sure that we have a few chains around here somewhere," Mesmero grinned.

"Yes, yes, go on," Apocalypse was quickly regaining his strength and becoming impatient.

"Then, you will bestow upon her the artifact which will bind her to you and give you limitless power," the telepath finished.

"That is fine Mesmero, but how do I control her?! She must belong to me forever and your simple mind control tricks will not suffice for long. They have already caused a great strain on her body."

He rose again with renewed vigor and strutted down the few stone steps.

"Of course my lord. She will become yours – powers, mind and body – once you … consummate … the ritual."

Apocalypse grinned salaciously and Gambit forced himself not to be sick.

"Yes. She will be mine. Everything that she is will belong to me. I must confess that I do not often submit to the urges of the flesh. But, during my probe of her mind I find that the girl's very essence thrills me. She is afraid of herself, for she knows what she can do. She has been hurt, but she finds strength in her pain. She hides her true self – her passion and her fire – in self-denial."

"I have been in her memories Mesmero, I have lived her life and I know all that she is – all that she hides from the world – and it excites me. She feels all that other humans feel, but it is stronger because of her denial. She tortures herself by not giving in to her emotions and it has planted the seeds of doubt and hatred that will make this process so much easier," he grinned again – a toothless, heartless smile that made Gambit's blood run cold.

Apocalypse continued, "It will also be much, much more pleasurable. I have had many virgins in my time, but never before has one been so pure, so untouched. Even despite all the conflicts and horrors that rage through her mind."

He paused again, "not one kiss, not one caress, not one touch – not even by her own hand… All of that innocence," he grinned again with hunger in his eyes, "and I will destroy it completely in one swift thrust!" He crushed his fist into his open palm.

As Apocalypse laughed maniacally for a moment and Mesmero chuckled nervously beside him, Gambit felt his stomach churn again and fought the overwhelming urge to vomit. The mere thought of that madman touching Rogue that way… he just had to get the girl out of here.

Mesmero spoke again and effectively killed his master's jovial mood, "It is fortunate that the girl has been so perfectly primed for you my lord."

"And why is that?"

"Her virginity, her utter separation from other humans and her bitterness toward her powers all create a combination that will make the ritual virtually flawless. Had she not been a virgin, it would take longer for the ritual to reach full potential; if she had been closer to her fellow X-Men, she may be easier to reach and if she were not so bitter toward her powers, she would not be so easy to convert.

"She will struggle against the ritual, but once you have taken her body, that bitterness and hatred will consume her and make her more susceptible to the powers of the artifact and the ritual."

Apocalypse considered this new information for a moment before nodding in agreement, "I suppose you are correct; but this means that there is a fraction of a possibility that something may go wrong. You are absolutely certain the X-Men have no idea of our location?"

"Absolutely, my lord, they haven't an inkling of where we may be. I have a shield around the temple so that no psychic messages can get in or out and in the event that our guest tries to contact the good Professor I will immediately be alerted and able to intercept the message.

Mesmero continued, "also, I will be able locate the girl or anyone else who attempts a telepathic connection and deliver a very painful shock. I can guarantee that if Xavier does manage to locate our Rogue, he will not be conscious long enough to pass the message along," his lips twisted up in a contorted grimace-like smile.

"I will also be able to sense if anyone is using mutant powers within miles of our location and can easily find any mutant that comes near this place. The new moon falls in five days; as long as we perform the ritual before then, nothing can go wrong."

Apocalypse nodded, "And she is completely powerless for now? She cannot use her absorption abilities on either of us?"

"No, my lord. The spell I have cast over her will subdue her powers until we are ready to release them. She will be able to touch anyone she wishes for the first time in years, but only you will have the pleasure."

"Good," Apocalypse agreed, "then let us prepare. I will waste no time in seeing my plan to completion. I wish to look in on the items for the ritual," he motioned to Mesmero to follow and then pointed to the two robots, "you two stay here and guard my queen."

With the last command, Apocalypse and Mesmero left the throne room with the two stone guards at the door and descended into the lower levels of the temple.

Gambit, knowing he hadn't a moment to lose, fingered a small stone and rolled it around in his hands for a moment. He flicked the pebble down the hallway, and like the good little watchdogs they are, the stone monsters went chasing after the noise – leaving the front door wide open and unprotected.

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Whew! So that's all for now, sorry to leave you hanging, but I tried to make this chapter a little longer for ya'll. Hope it's to your liking.

I will try to write more next time, but I can't be certain as this is almost ten pages and I've spent the last two hours typing instead of working.

So … I think I'll get back to working now and let you all review this chapter!! Please, please, please review!! If I get enough of them, I will try to update on Thursday too!

Is that incentive enough? I sure hope so! I'm shooting for like, 16 more reviews.

Sucks because by the time I posted this story last time, I had almost 90! Does that mean I need to lower the rating or increase it?

HEY!! POLL TIME!!!!! Everyone review and tell me if you want this story to remain T or go up to M – I only have like two, maybe three chapters that are REALLY, REALLY graphic (and a little twisted…) and I can always label them as M and leave the story as "T."

What do YOU think?!

Plus, if anyone has suggestions for what can happen in the five days (especially back at the mansion or this is going to be a very one-sided story…) I would really appreciate some recommendations.

Love and Light,

Wiccamage


	6. Chapter 6: Lust & Trust

Okay, so I'm officially holding my chapters hostage from now on. I was blown away by the incredible reviews! Thank you all, but especially to these guys for the particularly long and/or insightful reviews:

**SHOUT OUTS**:

SailorSun/Story Junky – Just to let you all know there would not BE a story if not for this gal. Back in 2003 she helped me map out this whole thing and really gave me some great ideas and suggestions. I've been using the outline we created to help fill in some of the gaps and rework my ideas. So a HUGE THANK YOU to SailorSun for all the help and patience throughout the years.

Sassy18 – Awesome, LONG review. It's great to see so many people liked my "plane ride" scenes in Chapter 4. I'm hoping to do another similar scene with the orbs.

Psylocke – wonderful review with great insights and feedback. Are you an English major? You sure sound like one – that or very professional. I love you feedback and hope you keep dishing it out.

RogueChere – good information on being too graphic – I think I've come up with an official decision based on your advice.

To "**V**" since you didn't leave an email – that is exactly what I have intended for one of the last chapters. It's another plot device that will help these characters become more dynamic. Plus, by waiting for now, it leaves that edge in the middle chapters and creates more friction and, trust me, a lot more internal conflict for both Rogue and Gambit.

Thanks to all these guys for adding my story to your favorites! It means a great deal to me. Arian69 – who gives great reviews! Lil'crazzigurl; LuckyTurtle; M.B. Wade; New Moon Night – another regular reviewer; PyroWhore – more great reviews; Ryan628; b.a.n.h.s.f.c. – What does that even stand for?? Deadsnowhite; death06; egolust92; le rose noir – great story by the way, when are you going to update?!

Another thanks to all the following people for adding me to their favorite author's list. It's an unbelievable high for me when I'm added as a favorite author – it's like winning an Emmy!

1. Abaiisiia 2. Alan DeSeras 3. Arian69 4. egolust92 5. 6. Evil-Triplet-Mah 7. Fayre Aiden 8. firebird802 9. hollywinter 10. Kaika-sama 11. MidniteAngelGoth 12. MistressDarkness 13. Ms Mab 14. PyroWhore 15. Rogue87 16. RoguesHeart 17. RomyGirl123 18. rubyred517 19. TayTay1 20. x-kitty-x

END OF SHOUT OUTS

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**AUTHOR'S NOTES**: (**IMPORTANT stuff is bolded**)

So, as I've recently been informed that my whole story can get deep-sixed if I don't be careful with the rating or details (thank you again RogueChere), **I've decided to create a parallel story called "Getting Warmer - Higher Rating"** (clever ain't it?).

Now don't freak out anyone. **This will be the EXACT same story with the exact same chapters, plot, etc, but I will simply insert my "M" chapters with all the fun details into the higher rating story as "chapter 9 Version B" for example. The original story will have all the pertinent information, but without the racy stuff.** That way, if the higher rating one gets removed from FFN, I still have the original...

It's practically the same as having it posted on another site anyhow, but this way, fans can choose their rating and stick to that story… And I still get my reviews and such.

AND all you fans can **simply click on the "Add to Author Alert (or favorite author…just a suggestion) and FFN will automatically update you when I post the "Higher Rating" chapters. **

AND, both versions of the story will be posted on the same day at practically the same time to save me the hassle of maintaining both stories (especially since only a few chapters will be different.

AND! I will notify everyone in the original story when the "Higher Rating" story has an additional chapter (racy chapter) being added.

I hope everyone likes this idea, because it's about the best I can come up with aside from moving it to another site – which most people hate anyhow.

I'm also surprised by how many people didn't care if I up-ed the rating, but because of my fears of getting booted from FFN, I've decided to use this approach instead. Plus, this way all of my underage viewers still get to read (not that the rating really stops them, but hey, my conscience is clear at least).

If you are fine with "M" ratings you will DEFINITELY dig a few of my upcoming chapters. **I will only be hinting at stuff with the "T" rating so everyone gets the idea of what has happened (as the M scenes are a big plot pusher), but I won't include any graphic details. **

So, I had to do the thanks and stuff and since I promised, but, here's another chapter. IT WAS going to be short, but I've officially hit like 10+ pages, so yeah... I hope you all appreciate that I'm going to get FIRED if anyone finds out this is what I've been doing at work the last three days… I mean, heck, I didn't actually EXPECT to get that many reviews…

Love and light,

Wiccamage

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_Last time in Getting Warmer - _

_Gambit, knowing he hadn't a moment to lose, fingered a small stone and rolled it around in his hands for a moment. He flicked the pebble down the hallway, and like the good little watchdogs they are, the stone monsters went chasing after the noise – leaving the front door wide open and unprotected._

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Gambit rushed through the now unprotected throne room as the guards inspected the source of the disturbance and, staying close to the walls, he slipped into the adjoining chamber unnoticed.

He left the door slightly ajar and turned slowly to gaze upon Rogue's sleeping form. She lay upon a stone altar that was tall enough to reach his waist with intricate golden trim adorning every corner and weaving around the sides in fascinating patterns. Between the swirling shapes of gold were inlaid jewels of differing sizes and colors. Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, topaz and the like formed a delicate weave of pictures across the stone slab.

Gambit frowned slightly when he saw the topaz – there were large quantities of it surrounding the entire room, but compared to the other precious gems it was hardly worth anything. He wondered briefly why Apocalypse would want topaz at all, but shrugged it off.

Gambit turned his attention back to the girl on the altar. She looked so peaceful with her auburn and white hair splayed out across a small golden pillow and remained blissfully unaware of the chaos to come.

Gambit, on the other hand, was all too sensitive to the hell they were about to encounter and despite the pounding in his heart he smiled wistfully. He almost wished she would just sleep through the entire ordeal and only wake up once she was safe in her own bed again.

"_Poor girl don' deserve all dis mess_," he thought sadly as he approached the altar.

He paused a moment to really look at her as she lay still and quiet – the only sign of life evident by the rise and fall of her breathing.

She wore a long, sleeveless black dress that tightly hugged her bosom and showed off her… assets. Gambit raised his eyebrows in surprise; those X-Men uniforms must be really uncomfortable to hide so much.

The trim along the top of the dress was sewn with golden thread in the same complex pattern as the altar. It created a small band of shining lace that circled her chest and disappeared beneath her bare arms.

Gambit's eyes wandered down as he took in the smooth black silk dress that accentuated every curve and molded against her body. As his gaze reached her thighs, he noticed a sliver of pearl white skin peeking out from the long slits on either side of the dress. They continued downward where the dress ended at the ankle and exposed a pair of simple golden sandals. They were laced all the way up her calves and eventually vanished under the black expanse of silk, causing Remy to swallow a sudden lump in his throat.

He then glanced at her toes, which were painted black to match her fingernails and he noticed a few golden toe rings and anklets – all of which were encrusted with precious gems. In fact, her entire body was adorned in gold and jewels.

A large golden necklace inlaid with sapphires and amethyst rested against the pale skin of her nearly exposed breast as it rose and fell gently. She wore a pair of earrings as well – small sapphire studs above and a pair of larger diamonds dangling from the lobes.

Gambit frowned at the small flecks of dried blood on her cheeks and ears and noted the small needle that still lay beside her head.

So they had pierced her ears, too. "_Foi de merde_," he cursed angrily. _(Roughly 'piece of … crap)_

He tore his gaze away from the blood and took in the rest of the ensemble. Bracelets, rings, anklets and other accessories graced every open expanse of skin and despite the gravity of the situation the sight of her took Gambit's breath away.

He noted that her eyelids were still painted with her typical smoky shade and her lips maintained a tint of her purple/black lipstick, but the makeup was less prominent than usual and didn't overwhelm her features.

But the dark shadows under her eyes certainly did.

Gambit wondered how long it had been since she had really gotten any quality sleep. She had spent the last few nights under Mesmero's control wandering around absorbing people for Apocalypse and it couldn't be all that restful for a body.

"_Still_,_ she is pretty_," he thought, "belle_ even_." (beautiful)

He took in the softness of her face, the smooth white skin of her neck and the gentle curves of her body. Her expression was serene and sweet and without the perpetual scowl and icy glare, she really was quite pretty – even without all the jewelry. High cheekbones, long, thick lashes and full lips…

"…_Kissable lips_..." he reflected.

Gambit simply observed her for another moment before shaking himself. "_Snap out of it homme_,"(man) he chided silently, "_dere's not time for dis_."

But, regardless of his own advice, he paused briefly to indulge. He wondered what it would be like to touch that ivory skin… kiss those sweet, soft lips… gaze into those soulful, pained gray eyes…

"_Scratch that – green – she has green eyes_," he corrected as the eyes in questioned slowly flitted open a second and third time before finally meeting Gambit's gaze.

"Hmm?" she mumbled softly through the haze in her mind and body.

"Hey dere _cherie_ (dear). Gambit's gonna get you outta here, okay?" He leaned close to her face and smiled gently at her.

"Wha-?" Rogue strained to sit up, to look around, to just move, but she fell back on the stone slab, exhausted.

"Shh. Easy now _petite_ (little one)," he ushered as he brushed a strand of white hair from her face. As he did so, he made a point of brushing his thumb across her cheek and watched as her eyes went wide.

Rogue looked from Gambit's hand, up to his face and back again in both bewilderment and panic. However, fear quickly dominated her expression as the fog began lifting from her limbs and memories.

Gambit stroked her hair back away from her face once more and tried to whisper soothingly, "S' okay, you can touch f'r now. Apocalypse did sometin' t' your powers."

Realization finally dawned as Rogue's eyes grew wider and she gasped silently.

"What? Oh mah… Where-where am ah?" She was struggling to sit up and her voice was rising by the second as she finally propped herself up on her elbows and got a good look at her surroundings…

…and her clothes…

Gambit clamped his hand over her mouth before she could continue while sparing a quick glance at the doors.

"Shh! I don' know where exactly, but we're in one of Apocalypse's fortress t'ings and he's got guards everywhere, so ya gotta be quiet."

Gambit felt her body tense and she whimpered slightly as her eyes started to slide shut again.

"No, _chere_, don' go t' sleep," he brushed the back of his exposed fingers against her soft cheek and her eyes fluttered open once more.

"We gotta get ya outta here before Apocalypse comes back. I ain't gonna tell ya the whole story, but trus' me, ya don' wanna be 'round for what he's got planned. Don' worry though, Gambit's lookin' after ya and I won't let him touch you. Dat's a promise."

Rogue nodded silently. Her eyes were heavy and drooping from exhaustion, but the adrenaline was beginning to kick in and she fought valiantly to keep herself awake and alert. As she locked gazes with Gambit, he could read the fear and despair in them, but there was something else he couldn't quite describe. Some other emotion that eluded him…

Before he could properly evaluate the source of the feeling though, he heard Apocalypse's booming voice echo through the halls.

"We have an intruder! Go; search the temple! FIND HIM!!!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Gambit quickly scooped Rogue up under the knees and she tentatively draped a bare arm over his neck. Her whole body was trembling violently and she bit her lip to try and keep her chin from quivering as well.

*Rogue felt like she was in some kind of horrific nightmare. She'd known something wasn't right with her for the last few days, but couldn't figure it out. There had been visions of menacing eyes and phantom sensations caused by the painful tug of her powers, but she had assumed these were just typical nightmares – compounded, of course, by recent events…

Now, however, as she found herself in a foreign place, hardly able to move, wearing clothes that were not her own, and feeling like she was coming down from a bad run with some anesthesia (thank you Bobby Drake for those lovely memories of having your tonsils removed), she could barely keep herself from sobbing.

As much as her deepest inner sense of self abhorred the idea of showing any weakness, Rogue felt very much like a frightened child who had gotten lost in a cold, dark forest. Instead of finding herself in the comforting embrace of her family and friends, however, she was forced to trust one of her own enemies– a man who had, in fact, tried to kill her not so long ago – to SAVE her! *

Oblivious to her inner plight, Gambit scanned the room for an exit, a hiding place, ANYTHING that would keep the girl out that madman's clutches, but there was nothing.

They were trapped.

"You, come with me and protect my queen," they heard Apocalypse order to one of the stone guards just beyond the doors.

If possible, Rogue's eyes went wider and she had to forcibly hold back a sob.

Gambit dashed over to the only window in the room and peered out. At first, all he could see was the open, cloudless sky going on for miles and miles, but as he leveled his gaze he saw that they were surrounded by mountains on every side and trees that enshrouded the valley like a soft green blanket.

Gambit stuck his head through the window and cast his eyes down. They were at least ten stories up and straight below them was a wide, black, churning river.

So much for that escape path; they'd probably die instantly. He turned away and his eyes darted around the room for one, agonizingly slow second when the doors burst open and Gambit was forced to dive away from the window as the entire expanse of wall exploded behind him.

Twisting as he fell, Gambit cradled Rogue's body against him as he turned her away from the blast and simultaneously protected her from the rubble and the stone floor.

He landed hard on his side, but managed to shield Rogue from any major damage. She had buried her face into his shoulder so his arm and back took the brunt of the double impact. Despite the throbbing pain in his body, Gambit looked up quickly to watch Apocalypse and dropped Rogue's feet so she lay on the floor beside him while he carefully began to reach for his cards.

Apocalypse's eyes were glowing a furious shade of red as he bellowed, "Release my queen, mutant, and I will make your death slightly LESS painful!"

With one arm around Rogue's back, Gambit pulled them into a standing position and tucked her tightly against his side.

He pivoted so she was slightly behind him and he was now effectively standing between her and the most powerful mutant in the world with only a stack of cards and a bo-staff to defend himself.

Great odds…

Behind him, Rogue's strength was slowly returning, but she was still trembling madly as she clung desperately to Gambit's neck and stared on in silent horror.

The thief knew that if he released her to pull his cards, she would crumble to the ground instantly and would be vulnerable to attack, but really, he had no intention of doing so. Apocalypse would never risk hurting "his Queen" to get to Gambit. As long as Gambit had the girl, they might make it out of this alive – she was an instant insurance policy.

At least, he hoped so.

Gambit tightened his hold on Rogue as he looked Apocalypse up and down.

"Well _monsieur_ (man), while Gambit does agree wit' de "queen" bit – She is _tres belle, non_? (very beautiful, no) An' dis dress…" he whistled low as he turned his gaze to Rogue's face and smiled reassuringly.

"Whew! C_'est tres_ _magnifique, mais_ (its very magnificent, but) I don' tink she's really into dat possessive 'mine' stuff, eh? She's more of the 'I'm my own woman and don' belong to nobody' kinda person. Sorry _homme_, not really your type."

Apocalypse's blue-ish face was rapidly altering to deeper shades of purple as Gambit spoke.

"How dare you defy me you insignificant pest!" he roared at last and raised his hand toward Gambit.

The young Cajun winced for the briefest moment, but relaxed when he realized he wasn't being vaporized.

The look on Rogue's face, however, was much worse than the pain of any laser beam.

Her entire body began convulsing and twisting in agony as tears sprung to her eyes and she lost her hold on Gambit's neck.

"_Chere!_" he called to her as she cried out and collapsed under the pain. He caught her up in his arms just before she hit the floor and cradled her gently in his lap.

"Ugh!" Rogue tried not to scream as another torrent ripped through her body. She bit down on her lip and drew blood instantly.

"You see mutant, she means nothing to me. I can put out her life as easily as blowing out a candle," Apocalypse sneered as he watched the pair with disinterest. "And I will do the same to you if you do not move away from her immediately!"

*Internally, Apocalypse knew that he could only torture his bride for so long. The new tactic was merely a ploy to make the Acolyte surrender. The girl was already halfway near utter exhaustion and would, hence, be easier to harm. Had he tried the same trick on Gambit, however, the mutant boy would have merely felt a tickle. And, if he was right, Gambit would be more concerned with the girl's suffering than his own.

Ah, what weak, malleable mortals…*

Unaware of Apocalypse's thoughts, Gambit's face nonetheless remained impassive as he stared down the ancient blue mutant.

"So be it," Apocalypse said and turned his back to the pair.

Rogue screamed.

It was long, loud and soul wrenching - the kind of scream one would expect to hear from a person who was suffering a slow, painful death. It was not the kind of scream Gambit ever wanted to hear from such a beautiful young woman and it tore at his heart.

Concern and shame marred Remy's features as he tried to soothe the now writhing girl. She continued to scream, though, as she thrashed about, and Gambit had to hold her arms down while he cradled her head tightly between his chest and elbow.

When he finally felt blood seeping from her ears and saw the viscous red fluid trickling from her nose, Gambit knew he had to end the madness despite any consequences to himself.

"Stop it," he said quietly.

Apocalypse chuckled, but still Rogue screamed in pain.

"Stop!" Gambit repeated more forcefully as Apocalypse continued laughing maniacally.

"Enough already! _ARRETEZ!"_ (STOP) the Cajun screamed at last.

With a shuddering breath and a whimper, Rogue finally stopped convulsing and laid still, her eyes glassy and unfocused as she tried to remain conscious.

"Now, Remy Lebeau," Apocalypse resumed as he turned back to them, "deliver me my queen and I might spare your life. You could make an excellent horseman."

Hanging his head, Gambit nodded solemnly and met Rogue's pleading gaze as she mouthed a silent "no."

He closed his eyes and swallowed hard. Remy LeBeau couldn't see any way out of this and he couldn't just watch Rogue be tortured like that. It would be so much easier if Apocalypse would just kill him now and take the girl.

Gambit sighed and adjusted Rogue to cradle her in his arms again.

Sobbing, Rogue wrapped both her arms tightly around Gambit's neck. It was nearly strong enough to cut off his air.

"Please, please don't do this. Don't let him take me, please. Ah'll do anything! Ah'd rather die than be his slave! Oh gawd, Remy please," she begged weakly in his ear and began sobbing harder as he stood.

After feeling what Apocalypse could do to her, Rogue would rather jump through the window than let herself be delivered into the madman's – that is, if she COULD. Right now, her body was so weak she could barely breathe. She had absolutely zero control over herself and was running purely on instinct. The crying fit was proof enough of that…

Gambit's stomach lurched as Rogue cried his name. She was begging him to protect her from Apocalypse and yet he was seconds away from delivering her straight into the arms of the madman.

Straight into his awaiting … trembling … arms?

While Rogue cried loudly into his shoulder, Gambit stepped toward Apocalypse.

"Ow! _Mon dieu (__my god__)_, my ankle! Here _homme_, y' better come take her. Gambit don' tink he can carry her," he urged while hobbling on his other foot.

Apocalypse paled almost imperceptibly, but did not move.

"I command you to bring her to me now!" he shouted instead.

But, being a master thief had its advantages and in this moment he couldn't be more thankful for his upbringing. He could smell the bluff a mile away.

"No, I really can't. Y' best come get her," Gambit ushered again as he noticed the fine sheen of sweat on Apocalypse's brow.

The man took a cautious step forward, but quickly braced himself on the stone altar that stood between them.

Mesmero lurched forward to support his distracted and weakened master.

"Get him!" Apocalypse shouted to the guards as he leaned heavily against the altar for support.

The two mechanical monsters lumbered forward and Gambit sprang into action.

The cards in his hands, previously imperceptible because of Rogue's dress, began to glow in bright fuchsia and he lobbed them toward one guard as the other took aim at him.

He barely heard Apocalypse's scream as he dodged the giant energy blast.

"Do not harm my Queen!!"

Readjusting his grip on Rogue, Gambit pulled her to him even tighter as the second guard fired, too late to heed his masters warning. Rolling across the floor with Rogue securely in his arms, the Cajun landed strategically between Apocalypse, Mesmero and the guard. The guard aimed again, and Gambit leaped out of the way– the ends of his coattails smoldering from the heat.

Apocalypse raised his hand and barely stopped the giant fireball from hitting him in the face. The strain from the effort, however, nearly doubled him over and the guard froze while Mesmero turned once more to his master's aide.

Gambit had found his moment and, while the group was distracted, he dashed to the gaping hole in the wall where the window once was. He set Rogue down on her feet, but continued to hold her up by the waist, knowing she was unable to do so herself.

The two locked gazes and Gambit asked quietly, "Trust me, Rogue?"

She swallowed and he could see the doubt in her eyes, but behind it, and perhaps more prominent, was that look same look that had eluded him just minutes ago.

"STOP THEM!!! STOP THEM NOW!!!" Apocalypse screeched as he tried to right himself.

Rogue whipped her head to see the guard lumbering toward them and, turning back to Gambit, she nodded with all the energy she could muster.

"Yes," she whispered simultaneously and Gambit felt that elusive emotion more prominently.

Releasing her waist for an instant, Gambit grabbed Rogue's hand and turned to face the gorgeous white capped mountains and lush green foliage. It would have been beautiful if they weren't about to die.

"_Bien_," he said quickly and, looking down at her one last time, he smiled, "Den we jump!"

He heard Rogue's audible gasp as he tugged her over the edge with him and then they plummeted, hand in hand, toward the dark waters below.

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Oh. My. God. That was so long and took FOREVER to write! Do you love the cliffhanger? I am a junky for these things!

**Here's the new rule, just 'cause I'm evil like that: I pick a number for reviews and if I reach that number I update the same day/next day. IF NOT, I don't update for a week (but I will still update every week).**

So, I'm currently at 74 reviews. Should we say oh, 26 more before I update again??? That would be 100 reviews and I will start working on another whopping chapter for it right away.

*cackles maniacally* This is too fun! I should hold my chapters for ransom more often!

I hope everyone enjoyed this one and if you have any suggestions for future content, ESPECIALLY scenes with the X-Men/Brotherhood/Acolytes I'm very welcoming.

Also, **new challenge** – **I need ideas/ways to get Mystique un-stoned** (no pun intended) without being too obvious or anticlimactic. I'm looking for something really clever and hopefully involving Kurt.

I don't want to use Agatha because she's been done and spells are too easy. If you've got an idea, please let me know.

Thanks again for reading everyone and I hope to have a bundle of reviews waiting for me on Monday!

Current Polls:

Higher Rating: 0 – same rating; lots – higher rating

Results: Sticking with "T" on this story and creating a second, nearly identical "Higher Rating" story for "M" details

Kitty/Lance/Peter/Kurt:

Kitty/Lance:1

Kitty/Peter:1

Kitty/Kurt:0

Thanks again everyone!

Love and light,

Wiccamage


	7. Chapter 7: Interlude

**This one is short guys. I know I promised a chapter as soon as I hit the magic number, but we had a slight bump that has hindered my writing capabilities for now. **

**As most of you know, it hasn't been a great month for me. My cousin died on 8/19, then we've had home buying/moving troubles, I broke my toe and now, low and behold my little baby girl, my puppy Faye, died last Wednesday. Ironically, it was the 19****th****. Exactly one month after my cousin Sammy. **

We brought Faye to her new home on Saturday night and spent three wonderful days with her when she escaped from our backyard and ran away. She was found on the freeway, four miles from our house, late that night and we found out on Thursday morning.

So yeah, it hasn't been the best month. I'm beginning to think this story is jinxing my life because I didn't have any problems until I started writing it again.

Guess that means I need to finish it faster, huh?

Anyhow, many thanks to Freak and Psylock for both the great reviews/emails and the words of encouragement.

Thanks to all those of you who reviewed – I'm so sorry I didn't keep up my end of the bargain. Oh and a big _merci_ to **thegambit23** for pushing me past 100 reviews!

**I created a very sparse myspace page, so if you'd like to see the dress from the story, go to and view my pics (my dog is there too).**

It seems there were a few things in the last chapter that were a little unclear, so let me elaborate –

Rogue is not really all together and collected when she wakes up. She's at her most vulnerable moment as she is very disoriented, groggy and only knows that the guy who just knocked her unconscious and left her in said state now wants to make her his Queen. It shows Gambit that she's not an ice B&$ all the time and that's also very important to the story later.

Apocalypse doesn't intend to kill Rogue, but he doesn't care about torture. Heck, he probably likes it. Plus, it shows Rogue that he means business and not to disobey him. And, if you've ever read the comics, Apocalypse uses torture devices to convert his victims into horsemen.

Hope that helps clear things up. I promise that even though there are parts of the story that may not make sense immediately, they will later on. BUT, **it always helps me to know where there are confusing parts so I can elaborate on them more fully in the later chapters so please keep reviewing and sending me your comments.**

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"So," Shadowcat asked timidly, "Colossus huh? I guess it fits, doesn't it?"

He nodded solemnly as he stared down at his metallic hands.

She was seated cross-legged with her hands in her lap across from hulking metal mutant who mirrored her position. Their knees were touching lightly and the minimal contact made them both a tad nervous.

Shadowcat bit her bottom lip and looked downward as well. They were silent for a moment when she finally blew her hair up away from her face and glanced at him shyly through her bangs.

"So, like, what's your real name Colossus?" she asked and bit her lip again.

His gaze slowly wandered up to her face and he was silent for a moment as he stared at her intently.

He was struck by the angelic way she watched at him with those beautiful blue eyes. Her expression was innocent and childlike despite her experiences with the X-Men, and he found himself smiling at the girlish way she nibbled nervously on her lip and hid behind her silky brown hair.

She caught his smile and returned it with one of her own – a sweet, kind upturning of the mouth that made her bottom lip more full and hid her teeth.

Colossus caught himself grinning stupidly at the young girl and tried to remember what she had just asked.

"I am Piotr Rasputin of Russia," he announced finally and with a slight blush, he turned back to his lap as he tried to ignore the inappropriate thoughts he was having.

But then, she giggled and all was lost.

His head shot up as he stared at her once more, but this time her shy smile was replaced with a wider one that lit up her face and showed off her perfectly straight, white teeth.

He looked at her blankly and blinked once before asking, "Vhat is so funny?"

"You," she stated simply before giggling a second time.

Colossus couldn't help himself and found one corner of his mouth turning up.

"And vhy am I so funny?" he questioned, trying to sound stern yet failing horribly.

"Because, you're like, so big and intimidating, but you're also, like, totally shy and quiet - it's, it's kinda cute," she replied before her face and ears went red and she glanced downward.

"Are you not also shy and quiet?" he prodded as he tried to bend his head to meet her gaze.

"Me? No. Not usually. Most people would say I'm too perky," she replied from under her bangs.

"Pah!" Colossus scoffed, "there is no such thing as too perky. It means only that you are a happy, beautiful person."

Oops. He hadn't meant for that "beautiful" part to slip out.

But, instead of the evil glare he was expecting, she looked up at him with another bright smile.

"You really think so Pi-Pio…"

"Piotr," he coached.

"Pee-oh-ter."

"Yes, I do …" he left off, waiting for her to supply her name.

"Oh. Right, my name," Kitty blushed again. Still, she stuck her hand out brazenly as she met his eyes and he took her petite palm in his own.

"Kitty, Kitty Pryde," she said confidently despite the red tint to her cheeks.

"Keety. That is a strange name. Does it not mean a small cat? A, how do you say it…? Kee-t-en…?"

"Uh, yeah, that's right, kitten. My dad sometimes calls me that," she stuck out her tongue and Colossus's eyes were instantly drawn to it.

"But, it makes me feel like a little kid, ya know?"

"Hmm," he murmured, but was still preoccupied by the reappearing pink bud.

He coughed loudly as he cleared his throat and managed to tear his eyes away from her face for a moment.

"Is that - ahem - is that your given name, Keety?" he blushed again and tried desperately not to look at her while he composed himself.

"What? Oh, no. It's Katherine actually," she responded and absently began to play with a lock of her hair.

"Ah, yes. Katherine is a vonderful name. Are you not named after Saint Catherine of Alexandria?" He asked and all signs of his prior bashfulness disappeared.

"Um. I don't, like, think so," she looked bewildered and was a bit taken back by his sudden outburst, "I'm Jewish so I, like, doubt it."

"Hmm," Piotr lost himself in thought for a moment before continuing, "then you must not know the story of Saint Catherine."

Kitty shook her head.

"Vould you like to hear it?" he asked quietly.

She nodded eagerly and leaned in as he began the tale.

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"DUDE YOU'RE FREAKIN' CRAZY!!!" Iceman screamed from inside the metallic bubble prison.

The young X-Man had been forced to endure two hours of Pyro's maniacal and slightly homicidal antics and the poor X-Boy was about at his sanity's end.

They had tussled around in the giant snow globe at least three times now as Bobby tried valiantly to wrench Pyro's Zippo away. Pyro had _encouraged_ Bobby to "play" (as he liked to call it) Jedi/Sith with "sabers" of fire and ice, as well as a very skewed version of "tag" where Pyro continuously tried to touch Bobby with the flames. He had also tried to initiate something he called "Barb-ie," but, as Bobby had quickly iced the flamethrowers over he sadly never discovered exactly what the "game" entailed.

Currently, Pyro was making little "fire animals" and cackling while Bobby erected a wall of ice to separate himself from the lunatic.

Unfortunately, it didn't appear to be helping much.

"Oh, I know mate, let's play cave man rescue! You be the cave man entombed in ice and snow, and I'll burn ya out!" Pyro cackled again.

"Oh Jesus Christ," Iceman muttered as he buried his head in his hands and iced himself up again.

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Meanwhile…

Kurt Wagner, aka Nightcrawler, was not known for being a patient person – good natured and fun loving, yes – patient… not so much.

At the moment, his patience was being tested well beyond its natural limits.

Kurt sat with his legs drawn up to his chest and his face buried in his knees while his tattered uniform provided some barrier from the horrible stench emanating from his traveling partner, Toad.

"Yo, man," the green tinted mutant asked, "you, like, gonna just hide there all day or what?"

Toad popped his gum yet again and Kurt's ear twitched slightly as he gripped his legs tighter and sighed.

"Hehehe," Toad chuckled and popped the gum again, "what're ya doin' anyhow, cryin'? Hehehe. I bet you're cryin' huh, cryin' like a little baby 'cause you got beat. Heeheheh."

Kurt's ear twitched again and his tail flicked angrily in the air. His head raised ever so slowly from his knees and he glared at Toad over his shirt, which was pulled up over his nose.

"Ja, my eyes are watering from the horrible smell. When was the last time you bathed? You smell like Wolverine's gym bag," he retorted.

"What! I'll show you, you furry blue overcoat!" Toad lunged for Nightcrawler, but the blue X-Man simply leaned back and kicked his feet up to knock the other boy back.

Toad hit the side of the cramped dome with a thud.

"Ow man, that hurt," he stated and rubbed his head gently.

Nightcrawler stared at him cautiously as Toad just slumped down against the side and was silent.

"Vhat? No comebacks? No retaliation, just … nothing?" Nightcrawler frowned over at Toad who sat with his legs up and his arms resting on his knees.

"Nah man, guess I'm just not in the mood for it," the boy sighed and stared down at his old sneakers.

"But… vhy?" Nightcrawler quizzed. The X-Man gawked at the Brotherhood boy as if he had just showered, changed, and brushed his teeth.

"Guess I'm just as bummed as you are dude," came the soft reply.

"Oh."

They sat in silence for a few moments before Kurt finally cleared his throat.

"Do you really know all that stuff about my sister?" he asked gingerly.

Todd sighed and looked up at him with surprisingly sad eyes, "Not all that much, really. Just stuff we noticed. It's not like we have all the cool stuff to do like you. Messing with each other was pretty much all the fun we had."

He snorted suddenly as he recalled another amusing occurrence, "There was the one time, yo, that Pietro went WAY too far and started poking Rogue and crap. She kept yelling at him to leave her alone and trying to hit him, but he's like, totally fast yo."

"Ja, and…" Kurt urged him on.

"And so she says," he raised the pitch of his voice and tried to take on a southern accent, "she says 'if ya don't leave me alone Pietro ah'm gonna drain ya and tell everyone all yer little secrets.' Hehehe." He chuckled again, "But you know Pietro dude, he just couldn't quit."

Kurt shifted excitedly, "so vhat did she do?!" he asked, secretly hoping she had walloped the boy.

"She like, faked him out and grabbed him by the finger. He tried to get away, but she had him really tight and would've broke something. So he had to just sit and watch while she took her glove off reeeaaaallly slowly. Hehehe," he sniggered again, "she kept dancing her bare hand in front of his face and would, like, tap him every so often. Not enough to make him pass out or nothin' like that, but he was like, real dazed and quiet."

Toad rubbed his chin with his hand, and thought for a moment. "You know, she never did tell us what kind of dirt she got off him."

Kurt smiled a little and the boys fell into a peaceful silence. Of course, it still reeked inside the metallic dome, but the smell was a little less noticeable now.

"Didn't you say something about pixie sticks back there?" Kurt solicited after a few minutes.

"Oh man, yo, you're gonna laugh your butt off when you hear this…" Toad began.

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Time passed quietly as the three metal orbs, led by Magneto, skimmed through the now darkened sky.

Occasionally, the Master of Magnetism would peer over his shoulder to stare back at one of the orbs curiously as he heard varying shouts of protests, cackling, or peals of laughter emanating from them.

Shrugging his shoulders after a particularly loud shout from either Pyro or Iceman, Magneto simply went back to humming the theme song from "I Dream of Genie."

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Amara, Jubilee, Rahne, Roberto, Ray, Sam and Jaime waited rather impatiently in the hanger of the Xavier Institute. They had gotten a call from Storm just minutes ago warning the group of teens about a few extra arrivals.

Amara stood with her eyes to the sky as she waited calmly for the X-Jet.

"Hey!" she shouted and whirled around to face Ray, who had tapped her on the shoulder and "accidentally" shocked her.

"Oops. Sorry Princess," he apologized with his hands in the air and a smirk on his face.

"Oh I'll 'sorry princess' you, Raymond," she countered as she produced a ball of molten lava. The ends of her hair were tinged with fire and her eyes glazed over in the same color.

"Hey look!" Jamie called from the front of the hanger, "It's the X-Jet!"

The teens could barely make out the lights from the jet in the late afternoon sky (time zones), but they quickly scampered out of the landing area as it loomed closer.

After the jet had landed, the seven students approached the jet cautiously. The loading ramp lowered and the first person to step out was a dazed and drooling Wolverine followed by Sabertooth, Scott and Lance who were all in similar states.

"Uh, Mr. Logan?" Sam stepped forward and quickly waved his hand in front of the teacher's face as Jean, Storm and Blob exited the jet next. They were followed by Pietro who was floating along strapped to a chair and gagged.

Finally, the Professor wheeled down the ramp as he rubbed his temples.

The students had gathered in awe and fear in front of Wolverine and Cyclops and were trying everything to get a reaction.

"What in the sam hill did Apocalypse do to them!" Cannonball exclaimed.

Jean grimaced as she stepped toward the four men and the group of kids.

"It, uh, it wasn't Apocalypse," she supplied as she turned back to look at the Professor.

The kids' eyes went wide as they stared first at Xavier then at each other.

They were startled out of their reverie by a low growl.

"That," Wolverine bit out as he shook his head and wiped the drool from his mouth, "wasn't very nice Chuck."

Xavier sighed and offered an apologetic smile.

"Every man has his limits Logan," he offered, "and I DID warn you."

This time Sabertooth growled and flexed his claws and the kids took a giant leap back.

"Ahem," Magneto's voice cut through the silence, "Creed."

He growled again, but relaxed and walked to Magneto's side.

The three orbs opened up in tandem to reveal three sets of very different scenes.

In the first orb, Kitty and Piotr leaned very close together as they talked quietly. As the dome opened, they looked around the hanger surprised.

"Are we like, there already?" Kitty asked with a hint of reluctance.

She grabbed Piotr's hand and dragged him through the bubble. "Come on Petey, let me introduce you to the rest of the gang."

The second orb's occupants could barely be seen amidst the smoke and steam that arose from within. Within seconds, however, Bobby came shooting out of the orb on his ice sled coughing and cursing as he came to a halt behind Wolverine and hid himself.

"That. Guy. Is. Crazy," he stammered as he trembled. Scott and Jean exchanged a look as Pyro leaped out and pouted.

"Ah, are we there already? It was just getting fun."

Bobby squeaked incoherently.

In the third bubble Kurt and Toad were practically busting a gut as they chortled together.

"And then she…?" Kurt asked as they stood together and exited the dome.

"Oh yeah," Toad finished and began laughing even harder. One look from Magneto though and the boy quickly recovered while Kurt continued to chuckle.

Xavier sighed again as Beast exited the plane with the still-stoned Mystique in tow.

"Alright, now that we are all here, let's tend to the wounded first. Hank, if you would?"

Beast nodded and ushered the others over to the elevators.

"Magnus, perhaps you would like to join me in the war room. We need to locate Apocalypse and Rogue as soon as possible.

"Rogue?" Sam questioned and pushed through the crowd suddenly. "What about Rogue? Where is she? Is she okay?" The other teens began whispering excitedly.

"Guys, GUYS!" Scott yelled over the din, "If you'll all follow me to the rec room, I'll fill you in there. The Brotherhood gang can stay here tonight if you'd like, we have some guest rooms, if not, one of us will drive you home in a bit."

"Yeah right, like we'd stay here with you, Summers," Lance began.

Ororo cleared her throat. "If not, perhaps you would like a bite to eat? It is getting late and I'm sure many of you are hungry."

She was answered by many grumbling stomachs and a resounding "HECK YEAH!" from Freddy.

Storm led the pack of ravenous teens downstairs while Scott and Jean herded the younger kids up to the rec room.

Wolverine turned to Sabertooth, "Wanna go one-on-one in the Danger Room?"

Creed smirked, "Bring it on, runt."

The respective groups all left the hanger together and as the X-Men and Brotherhood followed Storm to the kitchen, Toad called out to Nightcrawler.

"Hey blue boy!"

Kurt turned, "Ja?" he started when he was suddenly hit in the face by a large ball of slime.

"That's for earlier," he explained as Kurt wiped the sludge from his face and tried not to gag.

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Yeah, yeah, I know, this chapter sucked major, but like I said above, I'm not really in my element right now. I will try to get another BETTER chapter up as soon as I can this week, but we'll just have to see how it goes.

It hasn't been a good month, and I just found out from my husband that we have a small lake pooling at the side of our new house from this giant rainstorm that just hit us.

Plus, if that weren't enough, I also have a cold AND I'm on my period. Call it the Trifecta times two if you will.

Until next time!

Love and light,

Wiccamage

YEKATERINA Katya – pet name


	8. Chapter 8: Drowning in You

So, anyone want to take a guess on my new big drama? No, no, BESIDES my dog getting killed. Yes, there's ANOTHER one! I told you this story is seriously jinxed.

So the new drama is… my roof is leaking! Not all that big of a deal really, but, add to it that this is a preexisting leak that the previous homeowners supposedly fixed and that it has now caused potentially thousands of dollars in damage, which my homeowner's insurance won't cover and yeah…

My cousin died, I broke my toe, our yard is flooding, my dog got killed, the roof is leaking…

Does anyone have some rope?

Anyhow, as far as story length goes, we're not to the half-way point yet, but we're getting closer. This isn't gong to be a novelette or anything (I hope).

**If you'd like to see the dress(es) Rogue is/will be wearing, you can go to my profile page on FFN or if you have a myspace account, it's myspace . com / wiccamage, OR I can email them to you.** I've got to say, their pretty freakin' fantastic, and I didn't even draw them (just colored, thank you very much)!

Oh, thank you all for reviewing and for the words of support and encouragement. There are special people I'd like to thank – you know who you are – so thanks.

And to **randirogue** if you're reading… I hope brain surgery went well and that you are doing better. I guess I should look on the bright side, things could always be worse… I just hope my issues don't escalate to yours. No offense, but damn girl, that just sucks! Here's hoping you get well soon!

**P.S. Chapter 9 will come in two versions – one for "M" the other for "T" so be aware!**

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_Previously on Getting Warmer_

…"_Trust me, Rogue?"_

_She swallowed and he could see the doubt and fear in her eyes, but behind it, and perhaps more prominent, was that look same look that had eluded him just minutes ago. _

"_STOP THEM!!! STOP THEM NOW!!!" Apocalypse screeched as he tried to stand. _

_Rogue whipped her head to see the guard lumbering toward them and, turning back to Gambit, she nodded with determination._

"_Yes," she whispered._

"_Bien," he said quickly and, looking down at her one last time, he smiled, "Den we jump!"_

_He heard Rogue's audible gasp as he tugged her over the edge with him and then they plummeted, hand in hand, toward the dark waters below._

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Rogue's scream caught in her throat as she plummeted toward the black river below.

The height would be dizzying even if her head wasn't already spinning and Rogue found all breath and thought suspended as she fell through the air with Gambit at her side.

They were approaching the river rapidly and she spared a quick glance at her "rescuer" to gauge his reaction.

Gambit's eyes were wide, but his brow was furrowed in concentration. His jaw was set firmly and his lips were pursed in a grim line. He stared intently at the water below, seemingly calculating the distance and force of impact while Rogue tried desperately not to panic.

This was NOT how she envisioned her day.

It wasn't enough that the last few days were full of gaps and holes in her memory, but she had also awoken prematurely from her first restful sleep in a week to find that her powers were gone, her clothes had been replaced with some Egyptian gown, she was covered with gold and jewels, her powers were gone, some ancient bad guy was calling her his Queen, the X-Men were no where in sight, her only hope of rescue was an Acolyte, and, oh yeah, her powers were gone.

And now she was hand in hand with said Acolyte plunging ten stories down into a raging black river of death.

What a great way to start your morning.

She swallowed hard and tried not to scream. Instead she clenched her eyes shut and waited for death to take her as she counted down the seconds before impact.

"_Five,"_ she counted silently.

She felt Gambit squeeze her hand and she looked up at him.

"_Four._"

She knew her face was etched with terror, but right now she could care less. It wasn't like they'd live through this anyhow.

"_Three_."

She met his gaze and he smiled encouragingly at her. One side of his mouth turned up and his eyes twinkled slightly despite the situation.

"_Two_."

His grin was contagious and she also found the corners of her mouth turning up.

"_One._"

Both smiles were destroyed as the speed and force with which the two hit the icy river knocked all breath from Rogue's lungs and tore at her legs, arms and feet. The impact wrenched Gambit's hand from her own and the loss of his touch only fed her growing anxiety.

She felt like every inch of her skin was being jabbed with hot needles then wrapped in ice and the ache in her chest reminded her of being punched by the Juggernaut.

The pain was almost unbearable and she was quickly overwhelmed by the icy sting of the water, the heaviness in her limbs and the crushing need for air.

For a moment she was frozen as the pain in her body brought all of her senses to life yet made her completely useless as she bobbed under the river.

Her lungs began to burn and she knew she had to find air fast. She had to move – had to do something – to get above water as quickly as possible before her lungs gave out and she drowned, but as much as she yelled at herself, she couldn't get her arms and legs to cooperate.

"_Move dammit!_" she mentally screamed and finally the shock seeped away as pain was replaced with adrenaline and she kicked out against the rapids. Her arms flew into action as she tried to cut through the water, but with each stroke she only gained mere inches. She was being weighed down and didn't have the strength or breath to fight it.

All thought fled from her mind as her body clung to its last second of life.

"_Oh mah god,_" was her only reflection, "_ah'm gonna die._"

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The ache of the icy water was the first thing that registered in Gambit's adrenaline filled brain; the second was that he was alive and the third – he had lost Rogue.

The cold of the river enveloped him and began to seep into his bones even as he dragged himself to the surface. His dark brown hair was matted to his face and neck, and as he broke through the white caps he tried to swipe the errant locks from his eyes. His clothes stuck to his skin stubbornly, making it difficult to move, and he could feel his coat and boots weigh him down.

"Rogue!" he shouted above the roar of the water.

Gambit searched frantically for the girl, but the surging river and looming waves made visibility nearly impossible. He struggled against the current for a moment longer before his shoulder collided painfully with a partly submerged boulder. He grappled at it fervently, but it was slick with moss and the force of the river tried to tow him under again.

At last he managed to find a hold and dug his fingers into the crevice. He grabbed on to the side of the boulder, but the water whipped around him and nearly dislodged him.

"ROGUE!" he cried out a second time as he frantically searched the rapids for the girl. Another wave of water washed over him and he choked as he nearly slipped from the rock again as it sloshed over his head.

Coughing and sputtering, he had scarcely caught his breath when he felt another surge of water and his hand finally slid from the boulder.

As he righted himself and swam up for more air, a glint of metal in the dark, muddy depths of the river caught his eye. He could barely make out the source, but he could see the black silhouette of a body bobbing along near the bottom and he kicked to the surface for a quick breath before diving down once again.

He squinted as he swam swiftly toward the darkened figure; it was quite a distance, but thankfully he was assisted by the swift water. As he approached, he could make out more gleaming gold and could just discern a pair of arms and legs thrashing wildly for a moment before finally going still.

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Rogue flailed desperately as the last ounce of breath and strength left her body. Her vision, already blurry from the muddy water, began to swirl and darken rapidly. She was no longer conscious of up or down and just as she was ready to give up and resign herself to death, a hand clamped down on upper arm and spun her around in the water.

She felt firm, soft lips crashing against her own as they melded to her mouth. Her eyes, still bleary and spinning, rested on Gambit's red and black ones and, for a mere instant, she forgot that she was drowning.

Gambit reached his hand up to her face gently with his fingers on one cheek and his thumb resting on the other side of her chin. Rogue's eyes fluttered and began to close when he suddenly wrenched her jaw down and exhaled forcefully into her mouth.

Her lungs filled with borrowed air, her eyes opened again heavily and she stared at him in shock and confusion as he wrapped his arms around her in an awkward hug and pulled at the back of her neck.

Within seconds, something snapped and fell away and Rogue felt the weight on her body go with it. Grabbing her hand again, Gambit pulled Rogue alongside him and began kicking toward the surface.

They broke through the crest of the rapids coughing violently as they were pulled farther down the river together. Gambit hauled Rogue in front of him and wrapped his left arm around her waist with his hand locked over her right shoulder. He would have more difficulty swimming like this, but at least he could keep her from drowning.

Rogue fought to keep her eyes open and help Gambit swim to shore, but she was completely drained of energy. She'd had very little of it prior to their 100 foot plunge into the angry black river and that was before she'd come within seconds of dieing.

She felt exhaustion overtake her senses as the world began to slow and dim around her. The cold of the water lessened and she could no longer feel the biting sting on her flesh. Her bones felt laced with adamantium, but her head was light and airy as her eyes slipped shut again and she passed out amidst the threat of imminent death.

"Merde," Gambit cursed aloud when he felt Rogue's body go limp and tried to drag them both toward the shore. Eventually the current won out though and the red eyed Cajun had to simply ride the waves with Rogue cradled in his lap. Taking a look back over his shoulder, he smirked to see the mountain with a large hole blasted in the side begin to shrink away as the river carried them farther down and away from Apocalypse.

Gambit relaxed slightly as he watched the trees whisk by. It was easy enough to dodge the upcoming boulders, he simply had to stay above water and find a safer current that would guide them away.

It became a game of sorts to him. He would spy a large ominous rock in their path and would maneuver himself slightly to avoid it. As he skirted by the jagged stones, he would try to push off with his feet to move them closer to the shore.

The river was at least forty feet wide and, as they were, the rapids were actually much easier to manage when floating along with them instead of fighting against them. And truth be told, as long as they were getting farther away from Apocalypse and he could still feel Rogue's chest rise and fall against his arm, he really didn't care about a little water.

What's that saying about famous last words…?

As Gambit darted among the rocks and waves, he began to feel as if they were moving more rapidly downstream and the rapids seemed a bit harder to fight. The boulders were more infrequent, but they were also approaching more rapidly.

Using his free hand, Gambit was now barely keeping their heads above water as the current carried them faster and faster. His moment of ease vanished as the escalating rush of the river invaded his ears.

Scanning the horizon, he quickly confirmed his suspicions.

Fifty yards ahead, he could see the mist from the water rising into the heat of the midday sky. The sun was high and bright as it beamed down at them from directly overhead and created a maddening glare on the black, churning water. Squinting against the waves and the shine of the sun, Gambit was just barely able to make out the line of the horizon from beyond the mist.

The trees stopped at the same point from where the mist stemmed and the Cajun swallowed hard as his grip on Rogue's unconscious form tightened.

With all the strength he had left in his body, he attempted to reach the shore before they were pulled over the waterfall ahead. His legs and right arm worked furiously to bridge the mere 15 feet between them and the shore line, but he was only able to just creep along as he tried to fight the rapids and simultaneously avoid smashing into the rocks.

Gambit glanced at the shore again – 10 feet. Just 10 feet and he'd be safe on land, but Rogue's unconscious form was weighing him down and he instinctively knew he'd never make it as long as he held on to her.

For a brief, dark moment, he considered just letting her slip from his grasp. He reasoned that she would die peacefully in her sleep and wouldn't have to go through the hell she'd endure if Apocalypse found her.

No one would ever have to know… Once he returned to New York, he would explain that he had tried his hardest to save her and had failed. No one would know except himself and God.

And truthfully, it wasn't like he was going to heaven after all. Not after everything he'd done in his short 20 years. He wasn't afraid of death or hell, but that didn't mean he wanted to die.

Another 20 yards, though, and he would get to see first hand just how bad hell could be.

He swallowed again and his grip on Rogue loosened slightly.

His eyes darted toward the shore again. They were moving away from it now – he wouldn't make it if he didn't act soon.

But he was torn…

"_What d'ya do Lebeau_," he questioned himself, "_do ya let d' girl die and save y'r own skin, or see how good y'r luck really is?_"

Gambit had played many dangerous hands in his life – too many, in fact – but this one was out of his control. He didn't know what dangers lay at the bottom of the waterfall; he couldn't tell if there would be jagged rocks that would break his bones into a thousand pieces and leave him a big bloody piece of fish food.

He wasn't afraid of dying though – he wasn't.

Was he?

He swallowed the lump in his throat for a third time and his hand slipped from Rogue's shoulder.

Without the support, Rogue's body shifted and began to drift away from him slightly as they were both carried closer to the edge. Gambit's hand still grasped her waist loosely, but it was only enough to keep her buoyant for a moment longer.

Her head lolled toward him and he inhaled sharply. Her face was free of the hideous makeup – gone was the heavy black eyeliner and eye shadow. Her lips held only a hint of purple now and he couldn't tell if it was from the lipstick or the cold.

The dark circles under her eyes remained, but without all the other garbage, he was struck by how young and pretty she was. She had the potential to be stunningly beautiful, and she hadn't even grown into herself yet. She hadn't the chance to get comfortable with who she really was under all the dark makeup and clothes.

She probably didn't even know who she really was and if she did, she was probably just as scared of herself as she was of Apocalypse.

Gambit glanced ahead to the edge of the waterfall. 10 yards.

"_Make up y'r mind, mon amie_," (my friend) he chided silently.

He looked down at Rogue's face again – her nose was just about to go under. Another inch and she'd inhale the water and drown quietly without ever knowing what transpired.

But he'd know. And if he lived, it would haunt him forever.

Just like all the others.

Steeling himself and shaking out his dismal thoughts of betrayal and death, he tightened his grip around Rogue's waist and hauled her back to him.

"We in dis t'gether now cherie – _vive ou morte_ (live or die)," he stated as he wrapped his other arm under her chin and repositioned them to fall feet first into the unknown.

As they came to the crest of the waterfall, Remy looked down to see just what they were in for and managed only a word and a half before they were engulfed.

"OH SH---!"

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"AAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"

Professor Charles Xavier screamed in agony as he ripped Cerebro from head.

His brow was drenched with sweat and his face – from his neck to his glistening brow – was flushed and clammy.

"Charles, Charles!" Eric Lensherr, otherwise known as Magneto, fell to his knees beside his oldest friend and nemesis.

"Charles! Speak to me!" Eric placed his hands comfortingly on Xavier's shoulders as the man trembled and buried his head in his hands.

"No," he pleaded quietly, "it can't be, Eric, it can't."

"What Charles? What can't be? What IS IT?!" Eric shook his friend's shoulders gently as he tried to make sense of the incoherent ramblings.

"That's just what I was going to ask myself, bub," Wolverine snarled from inside the doorway. His uniform was torn and bloody, but the holes and gashes throughout his body were slowly closing up.

Sabertooth was in a similar state as he came limping from behind. They had been duking it out in the Danger Room when the power surged throughout the building.

"I'd suggest you step away from the Professor right now before I turn you into a tin can, metal head," Wolverine threatened as Eric turned back to Xavier.

"I'd like to see you try Wolverine," Magneto countered as he clenched his fist and Wolverine suddenly went rigid.

"Oh yeah, try that with me!" Cyclops yelled as he came running down the hall and shot at Magneto. The beam connected and the Master of Magnetism was knocked to the floor.

Sabertooth in turn wheeled on the team leader and backhanded the young man. The blow was hard enough to launch Scott into the air, but he was caught by Jean and placed gently on the ground again.

Holding his midsection with one hand and his visor with the other, he made to shoot Sabertooth, but Wolverine got to it first and pounced on the yellow-furred mutant.

Just then, more students came rushing down the hall and, seeing the two sides facing off, they immediately jumped on their nearest opponent.

The sudden onslaught of a dozen or more powers being fired at once made the entire basement vibrate and groan as the shouts and curses rose to a near deafening level.

"Please," a small, almost broken voice begged amid the ruckus, "please, all of you; stop this."

It was enough to make all those with enhanced hearing halt mid-blow and in turn, all of the others ceased fighting as well.

"Please," Xavier implored again as he hid his face in his hands, "stop fighting."

He was slouched over with his shoulders sagging and his elbows resting in his lap. He continued to shake his head as the pink flush faded from his cheeks and was replaced with a more sallow shade.

"Professor, what is wrong?" Ororo pushed her way past the crowd of students, X-Men, Brotherhood and Acolytes and kneeled in front of his wheelchair.

Eric stood behind him and Wolverine crept forward with one eye on Magento and one on Xavier. The Professor's obvious turmoil created a tense, anxious mood in the room that hung over everyone like a fog.

No one moved and a few hardly dared to breathe as they waited for the Professor to speak.

Finally, with her chin quivering and her hands shaking, Jean stepped forward and knelt by the Professor's side. She placed her trembling fingers on his left leg and peered up at him through tear-filled eyes.

"Pro-Professor," she asked, her voice cracking, "I – I think I felt it too. Is – is it Ro-Rogue?" She was openly crying now as the tears spilled down her cheeks.

At the mention of Rogue's name, a collective yet quiet gasp was heard from two dozen or so of the room's occupants as a heavy chill descended on them.

Scott, Kitty and Kurt stepped forward apprehensively. Tears filled Kitty's eyes as she cradled her hands to her chest and bit her lip.

Kurt held is breath anxiously while his tail flicked about subconsciously and Scott stood at Jean's side with his hand on her shoulder. His face was etched in a deep frown as he awaited the news.

"Chuck?" Wolverine whispered - his face impassive save for the concern and fear in his eyes.

Xavier nodded silently in confirmation as he slowly brought his hands down. Fresh and dried tears alike stained his old and weathered face and he turned his head slowly to face his children.

He could hardly bare the desperation and sadness in their eyes and he was forced to wall off their emotions so they wouldn't overwhelm his psyche.

He swallowed a lump and opened his mouth to speak, but found himself unable.

"Chuck, for the love of God, tell us already!" Wolverine growled as he clenched his fists.

"Rogue, she –" he started and brought a hand to his mouth. More tears filled his eyes and he stared down at the floor, unable to meet their gazes.

"She is – dead."

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Whew! Well, another chapter done. Sorry this one took so long, but it's been a crazy couple of weeks. We finally got the roof fixed for much less than we anticipated, but it still caused a crazy amount of damage in our kitchen. I'm not really sure when we'll get that fixed.

We also might be taking the previous sellers to small claims court for lying on their contract/disclosures. First, they told us that they had a contractor repair the roof when it was actually an uncertified neighbor and second, they never told us about the flooding problem on the side of the house. We spent 8 hours shoveling water out of our yard Saturday in the pouring rain. Nate and I each went through three sets of clothes and two coats. I'm amazed we don't have pneumonia.

Bright side though, my husband bought me a new puppy, Sophie – also a sheltie. She's not nearly as cute as my Faye, but she helps take my mind off it. Sophie learned to "go potty" outside pretty fast, but she's still pretty slow with everything else. Oh well, she'll learn I guess.

**NEW POLL: On which day of the week do you like to read your fanfiction? Please pick one day, Monday through Friday, when you think I should update this story** to get the maximum exposure. It seems to me that I get more reviews when I post closer to the weekend, otherwise, the updates just seem to get lost. So let me know when you think I should post.

**P.S. Chapter 9 will come in two versions – one for "M" the other for "T" so be aware!**

Also – Let's try for 21 reviews guys! I won't hold the story hostage, but it will certainly motivate me to write faster! ;)

Love and light,

Wiccamage


	9. Chapter 9 M Version: Of Life and Death

I think you guys will like this. It's pretty dramatic and there is also some Lance/Kitty goodness for you fans. Still haven't decided who to pair her up with overall, but keep voting for more scenes!

This chapter is very long. It's pushing 17 pages, so I hope you're happy! There is lots of ROMY-ness in this one too, but it's kind of one-sided. You'll see…

So anyhow, thanks again to Roguechere, Psylocke and Sassy for the great reviews. I hit 13 reviews in less than 24 hours, so I started writing immediately – lucky for you or you probably wouldn't get this til Friday! I started last Thursday, so yeah…

And just for all you readers in doubt – of COURSE I'm not going to kill Rogue!

… Yet …

I just like the dramatic effect of somebody dying. She does actually die in the technical sense, but … oh just read it already and find out!!!

WARNING: THIS STORY COMES IN TWO VERSIONS – ONE FOR "M" THE OTHER FOR "T" – YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

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"_Pro-Professor?" Jean asked, her voice cracking, "I – I think I felt it too. Is – is it Ro-Rogue?" She was openly crying now as the tears spilled down her cheeks. _

"_Chuck, for the love of God, tell us already!" Wolverine growled as he clenched his fists._

"_Rogue, she –" Xavier started and brought a hand to his mouth. More tears filled his eyes and he stared down at the floor, unable to meet their gazes._

"_She is – dead."_

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"Oh SH—" the rest of Gambit's curse faded in the roar of the water as he and the unconscious Rogue tumbled over the edge and were swallowed up by the plunging falls.

The water was white with foam as it crashed over the pair and Remy tried to open his eyes to gauge their path but was blinded by the tumultuous bubbles. Holding tight to Rogue, he clenched his eyes shut and held his breath as he waited to slam into the jagged rocks at the bottom. 20 feet and a few seconds later, however, they splashed into a shallow, open pool of water and were submerged in the icy waters once more.

Unfortunately, Remy never got a chance to praise his luck as they were instantly sucked up sideways over another rocky ledge. Turning his head to appraise the situation and get a clearer picture of the path to come, Remy cursed inwardly as he took in the half-mile stretch of various cascading and plunging falls. Plunging falls are frightening in that they plummet straight off into the unknown, but cascades are altogether different. Remy knew that most cascades don't have large drops, but are typically littered with sharp, pointy rocks, small drops that pound into more rocks or a little of both.

It just so happened that this particular waterfall had a lot of both types.

His geography review was cut short though as they fell another three feet and Remy's shoulder rammed into the next slab of rock. He felt it pop out of the socket and winced as pain shot through his shoulder and back, but he still managed to keep a good grip on Rogue as they careened down the moss-slicked rock.

Remy pivoted his hips and used their combined body weight to face them forward just before they went over the next ledge.

The two-foot drop seemed manageable enough, but the current instantly whisked his feet out from under him and he was left sprawling on his backside as Rogue landed on top of him.

Miraculously, he managed to cradle Rogue's head carefully in the crook of his dislocated right arm with his left wrapped protectively around her waist.

They slithered through a series of small boulders that lay haphazardly in every direction and as his body slammed into one and ricocheted off into the next, Remy got the distinct impression that he was being used as a human pinball for some greater being's twisted amusement.

He could already feel the bruises forming throughout his arms, thighs and ribs, but didn't dwell on it long as they plunged over the next ten-foot drop and landed in another shallow pool.

Remy sighed with relief at their fortune and he was able to direct their course as they were flung into another series of cascades. He was ready this time, though, and calculated the way he needed to fall to minimize the amount of damage.

They glided over the next rock slab and when they dropped over the edge Remy let his heels catch the next rock face, four feet down, just enough to slow them and cushion the blow to his behind.

It was precarious work but, master thief that he was, he quickly got the hang of it. With the weight of Rogue's unconscious form and his dislocated shoulder, he had to balance himself perfectly to keep them from slamming into the next rock slab as they fell from the last. The smaller cliffs were much easier to maneuver than the larger ones, but regardless, as they neared the remaining few yards of the waterfalls Gambit was practically doing flips as he navigated through the treacherous terrain.

They went over another short drop onto a stone slab and Gambit instantly adjusted Rogue's weight in his arms as he landed on his rear with his legs spread wide in front of him. He cradled her as if she were a baby as they approached the last set of boulders and sprung to his knees. He couldn't stand on his feet and try to surf through the water, but at certain times like this, he could at least jump over the rocks that would otherwise create more pinballing and bruises.

Kneeling, he pulled his right foot up so he was practically skating through the water on his left knee while using the right for direction and balance. Both his hands were full with Rogue, but he smirked nonetheless as they barreled toward the next boulder. When he got within of a foot of the pointy menace, he suddenly brought his left foot up and pushed off the stone slab below, effectively leaping over the last boulder as he landed back in the deeper river water again.

"_Piece a cake_," he thought with a smirk as he turned his head to say farewell to the harrowing falls as they approached the last two major cliffs.

The first was small, perhaps 15 feet and the second was larger, nearly 40 feet, but from what he could see, it had a deep blue pool of water at the bottom and no rocks to speak of. The real trick, he thought, would be getting out of the small lake with Rogue in tow before getting sucked down the river again.

He shrugged nonchalantly. In one day he had come up against Apocalypse twice and gotten away with his hide intact, survived a ten story drop into an icy river, avoided drowning, saved Rogue from drowning, and, with an unconscious girl in his arms, he had also battled a nasty run of waterfalls intent on pureeing the two of them.

He smirked and drew his left hand away from Rogue's waist to place it behind his head. He knew he was good, but this little adventure was definitely one for the record books.

It was with this cockiness that he let himself be carried over the first of the last two plunging falls with one arm around Rogue and the other splayed languidly on the back of his neck as if it was merely a water park ride.

Halfway down though, his foot caught on a rock jutting out from the middle of the waterfall and the impact wrenched Rogue's body from his loosened grasp and sent Remy lurching headfirst into the shallow pool.

Adrenaline and instinct kicked in as he drew himself into a ball and tried to manipulate his center of gravity away from his head. Although he managed to protect his head and neck, his back hit the bottom of the pool with enough force to momentarily stun him as the air escaped from his lungs in a rush. He came up seconds later gasping and wheezing as he searched frantically for Rogue.

The water in the pool was only about five feet deep and he waded through it as his eyes darted around for some sign of the girl.

He caught a flash of black on white and turned his head just in time to see Rogue being dragged sideways over the edge of the 40-foot waterfall.

"ROGUE!" he screamed, cursing himself for his arrogance as he waded through the water and jumped down the waterfall after her.

His soggy trench coat flapped up around him as he plummeted downward on the edge of the falls. It almost felt like he was riding the bubbles as his arms – dislocated shoulder and all – flailed uselessly in the air during the decent.

Gambit scanned the water below for Rogue but found no trace of her before he splashed into the deep, clear lagoon.

The force of the waterfall churned the lake below like a giant mixer and Remy was tossed around underwater for a moment before being spat out unceremoniously.

He emerged coughing and choking and was just barely able to swim the few feet to a shallow end of the small lake.

Stumbling and limping, he tried to make his way to the shore before he collapsed entirely. He was completely spent – mentally, psychologically, spiritually and physically.

He fell and his hands landed on the dry, rocky shore as the water continued to lap at his legs and knees. He coughed up more water and hung his head.

He had lost her.

One moment of self indulgence and he had lost her.

He had failed again. Another ghost to haunt his dreams and linger in the shadows with the other demons he tried to forget.

He struggled to his feet and turned toward the lake. He stared out at the falls with his mouth set in a grim line. He had to find her. Even if it took whatever life he had left in him, he would find her. He would make damn sure she at least got a proper burial. The girl had been through enough in her life and didn't need to be haunted in death too.

Gripping his shoulder and wincing, Remy viciously popped it back in place as he trudged out on the shoreline and scanned the water for Rogue's body. He only hoped that she hadn't gotten to the mouth of the river yet.

The sun was bright on the water of the lake and Remy squinted against the reflection. Thankfully, a small clump of clouds meandered past and temporarily blocked the sun's rays, providing a brief reprieve.

The lagoon was thrown in shadow as Remy looked around. They were at the bottom of a wide ravine through which the river had cut a path as it snaked its way down into a wide, low valley. Above were immense, snow-capped mountains that formed a bowl shape around the lagoon and the valley below.

Trees surrounded the lagoon and river on all sides and only a few bare patches of rock wall could be seen. There was a good 30 feet of sand, old moss and rock surrounding the edge of the water and Remy assumed the lagoon must have been a much larger lake at some point.

His eyes followed the shoreline on both sides as he searched for some sign of Rogue.

The sun peeked out again and cast a sliver of light on the falls and the bed of rocks lining the shore along the cliffs. The rays caught a faint, unnatural reflection of light, and Remy squinted again as he tried to make out the source.

A glint of gold flashed again and as tired and injured as he was Remy began trotting up the beach toward the light.

"Rogue!" he yelled, gaining speed as he got closer.

Soon he was hurtling down the beach at an almost unnatural rate while trying not to stumble.

"Rogue! Rogue!!" he cried as he saw the pale skin of her exposed calf peeking out from behind one of the black boulders.

"Rogue!" He halted as he finally came into full view of her body lying on the beach. Her arm and half of her chest was draped over a small rock, but the rest of her body was rocking in time with the water as the waves sloshed against her small frame.

"Oh, Rogue," Remy cried as he knelt down next to her and carefully lifted her out of the water and into his arms. Her dress was muddy and torn in a few places, especially at the bottom, and her arms and legs were riddled with bruises and scratches from the bumpy ride.

He carried her gently up the beach and laid her down on the smooth white stones. They were warm against the backs of his bare hands, but he barely noticed the heat as he examined her.

He studied her face – her complexion had gone from soft white to ashen blue-gray and the dark circles under her eyes were less pronounced because of it. Her lips were faintly blue from the lack of oxygen and the cold and she lie still and unmoving as he leaned over her.

Remy dropped his head again as shame and guilt filled his eyes and gripped his chest.

"Ya happy now, LeBeau? Y'Got what y'wanted, hein?" He scoffed at himself and rubbed a hand over his face.

"_Mon dieu_," (my god) he wondered aloud as he looked forlornly down at her young face, "she just a kid. She don' deserve dis."

He swallowed the emotion building in his throat and placed a hand on her cool cheek. He brushed the waterlogged hair away from her forehead and caressed her face. He marveled at the smooth, soft skin as his hand traveled along her cheek and down her jaw to her chin.

Hanging his head once again, he peeled off his duster to place around her body.

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"What – what do you mean she's d-dead? She – she can't be d-dead," Kitty cried as she began to sob. Lance pushed his way through the crowd in the room and pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her as she sobbed into his chest.

Kurt looked horror stricken, furious and stunned all at once, but remained unnervingly silent.

"Professor," Scott asked quietly, "are – are you sure?" He knelt down next to Jean and took the weeping girl in his arms.

The Professor swallowed and nodded solemnly, "Yes, Scott. I – I am sure."

"How?" Kurt asked brusquely, a hint of rage behind his unnaturally cold voice, "How are you sure?"

Xavier sighed and bent his head. "Humans and mutants alike both give off a unique signature of energy, just as they do a scent. It's what you might call an aura of sorts. With mutants, their signatures will flair when they use their powers and with Cerebro's help, I can find that mutant without much difficulty. When a mutant's powers are not in use, I can still sense a shadow of that signature, but I cannot pinpoint a location."

"So?" Kurt challenged, his tail whipping around him, "zat doesn't mean she's dead."

"No, that doesn't. But, when a mutant dies – specifically a mutant I am trying to find or monitor – the signature, the energy, simply implodes and vanishes. It works almost the same way as when a mutant's powers manifest; it creates a significant spike of energy, which I can then trace." Xavier explained despite some hopeful, confused looks from some of the younger students.

He sighed again. He should have gotten the new recruits out of the room before explaining this, but they would hear it eventually and it was better to include them with everyone else – as part of the team.

"I have a limited connection with each of my X-Men," he continued, hoping to bring some finality to the situation. "It allows us to communicate from a distance without Cerebro and with that connection, I can also open myself up to your emotions and physical conditions, but I try not to do so unless the situation warrants it. When Rogue – died, I could physically feel the implosion of her energy. In a sense, I could see and feel her death."

He closed his eyes and swallowed the bile rising in his throat as a few students cried out and began to sob.

"And," Scott asked, "and Jean felt it too?"

The red head nodded mutely and buried her head in Scott's shoulder.

"I guess it's the connection I share with the Professor, when he felt her die, a bit of that leaked through to me – I guess it leaked through to all of us. We all felt that something was … wrong. We all just sort of … knew."

The palpable tension in the room suddenly exploded as various wails and muffled cries echoed through the hallways. The girls sobbed openly and the boys, also needing consolation without admitting it, turned to them and tried to soothe them.

Jubilee sobbed into Bobby's arms as Amara clung to Roberto. Sam and Ray both dropped to the floor and sat with their heads on their knees. Rahne and Jaime ran to Storm who kneeled and enveloped them in a soothing hug while tears streaked down her face.

Kitty collapsed in Lance's arms a few feet from Jean and he lowered her gently to the floor and rocked her with one hand in her hair and the other rubbing her back.

Kurt's expression was cold and angry as he ported out of the room and Logan, wiping his eyes discreetly, went to find him.

Even the Brotherhood boys were getting teary eyed as the reality sunk in. Todd kicked at an invisible scuff on the floor as he tried to hide the water filling his eyes, Freddy's half-eaten sandwich fell to the floor forgotten and Pietro put an awkward arm around Wanda as she too tried to hold back tears.

Piotr hung his head in silent prayer as he too acknowledged the loss of life.

Pyro and Sabertooth were the only ones who dared to look remotely unaffected, but at least they managed to stay quiet out of respect.

"Charles," Eric started with a hand on his friend's shoulder, "I am sorry for your loss. I know how much your stu – your CHILDREN mean to you," he corrected.

Xavier released a shaky breath, "Yes, they do. They all do."

He raised his head and set his jaw firmly as he addressed the room. "That is why I will not be continuing the search for Apocalypse. I will not allow any more of my children to come to harm."

"What?" Scott demanded as he stood, hauling Jean up with him"What do you mean we're not going after him? He murdered Rogue! If he's got her powers, think of what he might do to others! We won't need to go after him he'll just come to us and drain us dry! We HAVE to stop him Professor!" the team leader shouted.

"I understand how you must feel Scott, how you ALL must feel, but I will not allow any more of you to suffer. I will not put you in danger."

"But Professor!" Jean started and was cut off by the older man's upraised hand.

"Jean, please; all of you, please try to understand," Xavier begged as the tear-streaked faces became hard and angry.

"I will continue working with Eric and the Acolytes to find a way to stop Apocalypse. I will use Cerebro to try and locate Gambit and monitor Apocalypse's position, but I will not allow you – any of you – to go chasing after that madman for vengeance. When the time comes, we – the teachers and I – will deal with him."

"No way!" Kitty shouted as she stood with Lance's help. Her chin still quivered and her face was red and puffy, but her eyes were fierce and determined.

"There is no WAY we're going to let him get away with this! Scott's right, it's only a matter of time before he comes after us here! What are we going to do, act like everything's fine and dandy while he kills our families and destroys the world?!"

Kitty's face darkened significantly as her temper rose, "Are we going to go to school, train in the Danger Room once a day, go … on VACATION … while this psycho is on the loose?!"

"Kitty, please, try to calm down," the Professor urged.

"No! I will NOT calm down! Rogue DIED, Professor, and however it happened, I know – I KNOW – that she wouldn't have given up! She wouldn't just lie down and let it happen; she would have fought!! She would have done everything she could to stop him and we can't just forget that and go on with our merry lives!"

"Kitty…" Xavier tried again.

"NO!!"

The valley girl was positively livid now and even Sabertooth looked surprised. The other students exchanged cautious glances as they took a small step toward the door.

"You cannot tell us to forget about this! You can't just expect us to leave it be and ignore the fact that Rogue is dead! You can't tell us to forget about Rogue and you can't tell us not to FIGHT for her God da-!"

"KATHERINE!!" The Professor bellowed, and this time even Magneto took a step back.

Xavier took a calming breath as the girl clenched her jaw shut and stared at him murderously while trying desperately not to break down again.

"Kitty, please," he begged and wheeled toward her.

Kitty swallowed nervously and hung her head as he approached. He lifted her trembling chin gently and took her hands in his, coaxing her to meet his eyes.

Tears pooled in her eyes and fell in thick, heavy drops through her lashes as they landed on Xavier's outstretched hands.

"Kitty, I am NOT asking you to forget this. I'm not asking you to forget ROGUE. I'm simply concerned for your safety. I will not put you in harm's way and let the same thing happen to any of you as happened to Rogue." His own eyes were watering as he pleaded with the girl.

Kitty finally looked up at him as she sniffled and more tears streaked down her face.

"We all care for Rogue and we all want justice – myself included. And I promise you that we will find a way to stop him and then we will have that justice. You can help with research; you can train as much as you want; you can even battle him in the Danger Room if you'd like, but, when the day comes when we must confront him – fight him for real – none of you will have any part in that."

Kitty started to protest, but bit her lip and simply nodded instead.

"Thank you," he whispered, and pulled the girl into his arms. She clung to his neck like a life-line as she sobbed into his shoulder and the other students began to cry again as well.

Xavier held her until Storm had ushered all the other students back upstairs and the only ones left were the Professor, Jean, Scott and Lance.

When he felt Kitty's breathing even out he motioned silently to Lance.

Under the watchful gaze of Cyclops, the boy gently hooked his arms under Kitty's knees and shoulders and lifted her carefully out of the Professor's lap.

"I trust you can see Kitty to her room, Mr. Alvers?" Xavier asked quietly.

Lance nodded mutely and swallowed hard. Before he turned to go, the Professor called him back.

"Oh, and Lance, this will not be an easy time for Kitty. She and Rogue were very close and I'm sure it would be good for her if you were able to stay a few days and help her through this troubling time."

With a sad smile, Lance nodded again and carried the sleeping girl up to her bed.

When he was out of earshot, Scott finally spoke up.

"Professor, are you sure it's a good idea to invite them to stay? It didn't work out so well last time, you know," he said as he ran a flustered hand through his hair.

"Scott, I understand your concerns, but this is a time for grieving and healing and those boys need it just as much as any of the students here."

He smiled kindly at the pair before he turned down to leave the War Room.

"Please inform the students that I or any of the other teachers are available if they would like to talk about … recent events. In the meantime, I will be in my study. I have an old friend who works as a grief counselor. I feel her presence here may be of great help to us all."

With that, he wheeled slowly down the hall leaving Scott and Jean to worry after him.

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Gambit carefully removed his soggy trench coat from his injured shoulder and placed it on the ground next to Rogue as he marveled at the amount of damage that could be done in five minutes. Just four minutes ago he had let his ego swell and had thus resigned the girl to her death.

He sighed again as he brushed his thumb across her cheek one last time and cursed himself for not being more careful.

'_Stupid, stupid, stupid Lebeau. Didn't y'r _pere_ (father) teach ya better den dat?'_

He realized too late that he should have treated the girl like a prized jewel – solid looking, but oh so precious – fragile even.

He shook himself from the reverie and carefully placed his arm under her knees. His other hand hooked under her neck near the base of the skull and his thumb brushed against her throat.

As he began to lift her onto the trench, his heart nearly stopped and he immediately laid her back down. Her neck was still warm despite the chill of the water.

With quick fingers, he gently peeled her eyelid back to reveal glassy, dilated pupils, but there was no sign of the broken red blood vessels that indicated complete asphyxiation and his heart thrummed back to life as he smacked himself in the head. He remembered from his guild training that cold water drowning often meant a victim could survive up to 10 minutes without oxygen – meaning he still had a chance to bring Rogue back.

He had been so devastated at loosing her and seeing her lifeless body rocking against the shore that he had completely forgotten the most basic training of all.

Remy rested his head gently against her breast and listened for any signs of a heartbeat. He checked her pulse and found none, but didn't let that discourage him.

He'd bring her back to life if he had to personally charge her very heart to do it!

Tilting her head back with two fingers, Gambit pressed his mouth against Rogue's cold blue lips and tried to breathe life back into her.

One breath. Two breath.

He turned his head to the side and listened before he sat up and, tracing her rib cage up to her sternum, placed the heel of his left hand on the bony process. Placing his right hand over his left, he linked the two together and locked his elbows as he loomed over her and began chest compressions.

"One and two and three and four and five," he repeated aloud as he pushed down on her chest forcefully.

At five, he leaned back over her mouth and felt the forced breath escape her lungs.

He placed his index and middle finger along the edge of her jaw to tilt her head back again and exhaled forcefully into her mouth two more times before starting the entire process over again.

Two breaths, check for breathing, five chest compressions, check for breathing, two breaths…

Over and over and over again.

On the third set of compressions he checked for a pulse and found none, but he was heartened to see the blue tint fading from her lips.

Two breaths, check for breathing, five chest compressions, check for breathing, two breaths…

Again.

Again.

Again.

He counted and breathed and pushed until he started to get light headed.

"Nine and two and three and four and five," he muttered as he went.

"Ten and two and three and four and five..."

"Dammit Rogue BREATHE!" he screamed aloud as he finished up another round of breaths and checked for a pulse.

Nothing.

He gritted his teeth and moved back to the chest compressions. "Eleven and two and three and four and five…"

Two breaths, check for breathing, five chest compressions, check for breathing, two breaths…

He was almost ready to give up and try to jump start her heart with his powers. Or, at least attempt to do so – it might actually explode instead, so it was sort of a last resort.

His shoulder was throbbing, his frozen limbs were tingling painfully and waves of fire shot through his body as it thawed, but still he continued on.

"Thirteen and two and three and four and five…"

He shut his eyes in silent prayer as his fingers found her neck again and they flew open as his heart leapt into his throat.

Stunned, he pressed his ear against her chest and nearly shouted with joy and relief as he heard a faint but steady 'lub dub, lub dub' beating away.

His cheek hovered over her mouth and nose for a moment, but the lack of a warm steady breath against it nearly killed the moment.

Remy didn't let himself despair though and began breathing into Rogue's mouth again.

One breath - pause. Two breaths - pause. Three breaths - pause. Four breaths - pause. Five breaths - pause.

He stopped a moment to recheck her pulse and heart, then resumed.

Six breaths - pause. Seven breaths - pause. Eight breaths - pause. Nine breaths …

Remy jolted back as he heard a gurgling noise from Rogue's throat and he rolled her onto her side as she began coughing up water.

It went on endlessly as she continued to choke and spit up water as she gasped for air.

"Tha's it Rogue, breathe. Jus' breathe," Remy coaxed as he rubbed her back rigorously. His own heart was pounding in his ears as he felt hers thrumming through the thin black dress.

Finally she gave one last feeble cough and lie still, breathing heavily.

"Rogue, y'all right chere?" (dear) he asked as he tried to view her face through her hair.

He rolled her back over as panic surged through him. What if she'd stopped breathing again? What if there was brain damage?

He brushed the hair out off her face and she blinked at him through glassy, unfocused eyes. Her lips were trembling slightly as she fought to keep her lids open and Remy had to lean in to hear her as she whispered something nondescript.

"What was dat petite?" he asked with his ear right over her lips.

"C – cold…" she managed as her eyes began to close again.

"Merde!" (sh-t) he shouted as he grabbed her hands and rubbed them down with his own. Her fingers were starting to go blue from the cold and he had forgotten about the repercussions of shock. He looked around again for some way to warm her quickly, but wasn't struck by any bright ideas.

He couldn't start a fire for fear that Apocalypse would find them and it wasn't like there would be a warm bed just lying around in the woods.

Briefly, he considered reenacting that grotesquely disgusting tundra scene from Star Wars, but there weren't exactly any large wild beasts lining up for the slaughter either.

The stones around them were warm, but wouldn't be enough. Plus, he couldn't just sit out on the beach like this where Apocalypse could easily spot them.

He searched frantically as he rubbed his hands up and down Rogue's arms and calves.

As his eyes roamed through the trees and open patches of wall, he spotted a wide-mouthed, but shallow cave that was partially bathed in sunlight.

Perfect!

They could lie in sun at the mouth of the cave, and if there were any signs of trouble, they could easily retreat back into the shadows without being seen.

"Hold on Rogue. Gambit'll take care of ya," he soothed as he threw his coat over his shoulder and then picked her up gently.

Limping, he ran the fifty yards to the cave's entrance and with a quick look around he set Rogue down just inside it where the sunlight warmed the stones around them.

He carefully laid her head against the pebbles then turned her onto her side as she moaned incoherently.

"Shh _petite_, Gambit gonna get you warmed up right quick, _d'accord_?" (okay) he whispered as he took off her shoes, then gently tugged the zipper of the dress down so he could remove the sodden garment.

**MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM**

With a quick swallow and a lick of the lips, Remy pulled the zipper all the way down to her lower back where it stopped just above sacrum.

His hands were shaking slightly (from the cold of course) as he smoothed the corners of the black silk down away from her body.

He was facing her back and swallowed again as the silk fell away from the soft, creamy flesh of her back and waist and he tried to avert his eyes out of respect.

She was trembling all over, but appeared to have fallen back to sleep for which he was very, very grateful.

With smooth, gentle hands, he grasped Rogue's naked shoulder and turned her onto her back again.

Clearing his throat softly, he moved his hand down to the sharp curve of her ribs and along the center of her hard, flat belly to where the dress had fallen just below her belly button.

With another gulp, Remy reached over to her hip while his left hand mirrored the position. He was on his knees, bent slightly over her half-exposed body, and staring down at her lovely form while trying desperately not to get turned on.

With his eyes closed, Gambit slid both hands down along the backside of her hips and hooked his fingers just under the dress. He licked his lips again and began the slow, smooth slide of silk down her bare form as he lifted her off the ground.

He clenched his eyes harder as he felt his hands glide over the muscular, soft skin of her derriere and down the well rounded cheeks. He cleared his throat when his palms brushed the defined apex between her ass and legs, down her thighs and over the fleshy part behind her knees.

He gently lowered her near-naked form back down onto the warm stones as he tugged the wet garment away from her calves and off her feet, leaving her fully exposed before him.

Her face was free of the dark Goth makeup and looked much better now that her complexion was back to its normal pale color instead of that grayish-blue 'dead' shade. Her neck was graceful and smooth even with the harsh red scratch that marked where the heavy golden necklace had been before Remy had removed it and rescued her the first time.

Her arms were taught and well defined while being simultaneously feminine and graceful despite the main cuts and bruises. Her fingers, however, were long, thin and stunning – he could hardly believe that such beautiful hands were responsible for sucking the life out of so many people.

Gambit's breath caught in his throat as he took in the alluring dip of her collarbones and the succulent swell of her breasts. The skin of her neck and chest was the same shade as her breasts, waist and inner thighs – a rarity among girls her age (at least those who didn't tan nude).

He watched the even rise and fall of her bare chest, marred only by a long gash where she had been tossed on the rocks. Even with the knowledge that she was passed out again, Remy still took many fleeting glances at her face to be certain she was unaware of his nearly voyeuristic ministrations.

Her dark red, almost purple areolas were pinched tight from the cold and Gambit closed his eyes as he tried NOT to imagine leaning over just a bit more and taking the hardened nub in his mouth, even though his manhood was urging him to do so.

The generous swell of her breast ended where her small waist began high on her rib cage before flaring out to meet with her full, luscious hips. She had a gorgeous hourglass figure – the kind most girls would starve for – yet he doubted she cared much.

He carefully tried to avoid looking at the junction of her thighs, but even so, he got a peek of the auburn brown hair that nestled there and covered the part of her that had never been touched.

Her thighs were muscular and shapely as they met with slim, toned calves and sweet, almost dainty looking feet that he knew very well would kick his ass if she caught him staring at her.

Both her fingernails and toenails were painted black to match the Goth persona and her hands, wrists, arms and ankles were still covered in the incredibly expensive gold jewelry.

Sighing and swallowing again, Remy reached for his own shirt and carefully pulled the top part of his uniform over his head. He was incredibly thankful that Magneto had invested in a highly durable polymer that didn't rip or tear easily.

He stood and hung his shirt, Rogue's tattered dress and his coat in the sun over various tree limbs and partially covered rocks. Judging by the sun, it had to be at least noon and it would probably take a few hours for their clothes to dry.

He sat on a rock and unzipped his boots quickly as he watched Rogue's naked, goose bump covered body shiver violently despite the warmth of the sun and stones. The boots and socks squished loudly as he pulled them off and set them out to dry, and last to go were his pants. They were a little worn in the knees and butt, but otherwise undamaged.

He was just thankful that he had actually worn his boxers today.

Sufficiently stripped and already warming now that he was out of the icy cold clothes, Remy swallowed again nervously and walked back over to Rogue. He lay on his side next to her and carefully gathered her in his arms while rubbing his hands up and down her bare back.

Their chests – their NAKED chests – were pressed against one another as Remy tried to warm her. Despite his best efforts, however, she wasn't trembling any less than before.

Shifting positions, he tried to press more of her body against his to let her feed off his natural warmth. He turned onto his back and moved her with him so she was lying fully on top of him with her back to the sun.

Remy continued rubbing his hands up and down her back and arms as she lay pressed against him and he marveled silently at how well her body fit with his. Her head lay against his uninjured shoulder with her nose tucked into his neck at the junction of his jaw. Her body practically molded to his and even their lower halves were perfectly matched.

The thought of how close Rogue's soft, naked warmth was to his own made his penis quiver with excitement and Gambit had to think of everything he could possibly imagine to take his mind off the current situation.

Magneto in a kilt. Magneto in a dress. Magneto naked. Rogue naked. His manhood jumped again and pressed harder against Rogue's belly.

Dammit!

Sabertooth. Sabertooth in a dress. Sabertooth eating dinner. Sabertooth in Paris.

That did it. Remy scowled at the memory, but it had the desired effect.

At least until she moaned softly and snuggled closer to him…

The lower half of her body wiggled slightly and seemed to grind up against his penis and Remy had to bite his lip to hold back a moan of his own.

The thought of her waking up and finding him - nearly naked, below her – fully naked, did not bode well for Remy though, and the threat to his manhood immediately put it in check once more.

Thankfully, Rogue simply murmured softly as she nuzzled deeper into Remy's neck and fell back into a nice, deep, peaceful sleep.

Remy smiled and kissed the top of her head gently as he buried his nose in her damp hair.

"Sleep well Rogue, sleep well," he whispered as he too closed his eyes for a short nap.

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WHEW!!! That was the longest chapter EVER! I hope you all liked it, because it will probably be a loooooooonnnnnnngggggg time before I write another one that long or exciting.

With the "M" rating chapter, I ended at about 17 pages. Without, 14 pages. Who knew descriptions could be so lengthy (or hot???!)

Anyhow, it's off to bed for me now. Please write LOTS of reviews as I love them so and they inspire me to write excellent chapters like this one!

Is that incentive enough? If not, let's hit 21 more (even though there were like 25 from the last one!)

Love and light,

Wiccamage


	10. Chapter 10: Pardonnez Moi?

First of all let me say that I love your reviews. Secondly, please give me more. Whenever I read a particularly funny or grin-worthy review, I immediately run back to my story and type another page so I hope that's a good incentive for you.

Third, Hot Slinky, please leave some kind of email so I can reply to your great comments once in a while! I love privately responding to my reviewers, and I love your reviews! I'm so glad that you get excited when I update.

And a big thanks to everyone who has mentioned that they enjoy my writing style. I haven't pinpointed what that is just yet, but it gives me hope that one day I'll be able to write a real fiction story and maybe get published. So if you have any comments/suggestions for me I'd really appreciate it.

I'm also both heartened and dismayed that so many of you have mentioned that this is "the best story I've read in a long time." It thrills me because, WOW, what a compliment! But, at the same time I'm sad because that means I've probably read all the good ones too.

Somebody else update for Pete's sake! I really like "Flight" right now, plus the gal updates practically every day so bonus. But yeah, we need another "Giddy" or "Love of My Life." I created a community for "M" rated ROMY stories I really enjoy, but a gal can only read the same thing so many times you know?

Shout outs go to Sassy, Psylocke, SkyRogue, Roguechere, gambitfan, Chica D.L.O. Café, Hot Slinky and Arian69; I absolutely LOVE getting your reviews and I'm so grateful that you give them so often. Especially Sassy though for her constant full page(s) of comments, it absolutely makes my day.

In fact, it makes my day so much that I get inspired to write IMMEDIATELY after getting reviews like those. So thanks to Sassy and the gang for helping me catch the writing bug again!

Anyhow, thanks again for the great reviews. Here's another chapter.

**Warning: This chapter sort of pushes the line between T & M. There are a few bits of "crude" language and partial nudity, but nothing too graphic or bad. Technically there aren't any "shield thine eyes (or ears)" moments, so I hope that helps. Let me know if I've overstepped. **

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When Rogue awoke, she was tired, sore, cold and very, very cranky. She blinked a few times and moaned softly as she tried to remember exactly how many 18-wheelers had hit her. She had to get more pain meds from Dr. McCoy – the man was really slacking if this was the best he could do.

She kept her eyes shut tight and ran her bare hand over her dirty face, down her bare neck and along her bare shoulder.

Wait, what? That was WAY too much bare even for the med bay.

The sensation of skin on skin brought recent events – albeit very fuzzy recent events– crashing to the forefront of Rogue's mind, and her eyes shot open as she recalled the few details she could clearly remember.

Waking up in a strange place, sans clothes, and being called "my Queen" by Apocalypse…

Being rescued by the dreamy-eyed – er, DEMON-eyed Cajun Acolyte…

Jumping 10 stories off a mountain and landing in a freezing river…

Nearly drowning…

And that's about where it got really fuzzy. She could vaguely remember lots of water and being really, really cold, but it was generally a big black blank. Oh well, she figured, the Professor could fill her in later.

Groaning again, Rogue pressed both of her bare hands against her eyes as she tried to block out the sun.

Sun? There shouldn't be any sun in the med bay.

Except that she wasn't in the med bay, she realized with a start.

Her stomach did a back flip.

If she wasn't in the med bay, where was she? And why wasn't she in the med bay?

Her eyes focused a little and she could make out the side of a mountain that was partially covered in shadow as the sun sank behind it. There were trees above her and rocks below her. And lots and lots of big blue sky everywhere.

Forget the med bay, she wasn't even in the mansion. She was outside, on the ground.

She slowly connected all the puzzle pieces and took a guess at what might have occurred. Anxiety struck hard and fast and she bolted upright.

Instantly, she knew three things:

One: she was very dizzy and very nauseous.

Two: the X-Men had not yet come to save her.

Three: she was very, very naked save for a long brown duster that had been draped over her body.

With a small yelp of surprise, Rogue snatched the cold, wet garment back up over her chest as she tried to think of why she would being lying unclothed inside the mouth of a cave in what appeared to be the middle of woodland, nowhere.

As she gauged her surroundings and struggled to figure out exactly what had transpired to bring her to this point, she nearly dropped the coat once more when she was startled out of her stupor by a jovial Cajun voice.

"Evenin' _chere_!" it called from her left.

Her glassy, unfocused eyes narrowed to slits as she glared murderously at the boxer clad Acolyte. Thankfully her vision was too fuzzy to really notice his finely toned pecs and abs or how the sun glistened off his gorgeous tan and made his tousled hair shine brilliantly.

"You," she growled, but it came out as more of a wheeze and she suddenly realized how hoarse and sore her throat was.

Gambit was carrying a makeshift spear, but his wide smile vanished as he noted the homicidal look on Rogue's face.

"Now, _chere_, lemme explain," he held up his hands in surrender as she struggled to wrap the duster tighter around herself.

"Explain?" she asked, trying to stand. She found the motion nearly impossible, however, as both nausea and fatigue washed over her. She settled for kneeling instead.

"Ya UNDRESSED meh!?" she shouted, trying to sound fierce despite the husky grate to her voice.

"_Chere_," Gambit began, observing the way her tinted cheeks paled significantly when she'd attempted to stand, "ya don' understand. Gambit had t' do it."

"Had to MAH ASS, Cajun!" she shrieked and picked up a small stone. She lobbed it at him, but missed by several feet as it went soaring into the trees instead.

He watched it fly by with an amused smirk on his face and started walking toward her again.

"Well, it is a fine ass, _petite_, but dat ain't d' issue, eh?" He marveled at the way her blush started at the tips of her ears and spread all the way down to where his coat covered her chest.

Enraged, she held the coat up to her throat with one hand and began chucking rocks toward him in rapid succession with the other.

Her aim was much improved this time and eventually Gambit had to drop his stick to protect himself. He deflected the first few, but as she built up steam and stamina, he was forced to simply duck and cover.

He darted behind a tree as the small but heavy stones thumped continuously against the trunk.

"Rogue, y' don' understand," he started again as she continued her assault. He pressed his back up against the tree and sighed.

He knew she wouldn't take it well.

"Oh, ah understand all rahght!" she shouted again, "yer a filthy stinkin' pervert! Ah can't believe you! Oh wait, tha's right, you're an Acolyte. Ya already tried t' blow mah hand off once, an' ah KNOW yer always followin' me around, so this is prob'ly rahght up yer alley!"

He winced. What kind of a thief was he if a mere girl could sense his presence.

Another heavy rock collided with the tree and vibrated through to his skull.

"It ain't like dat at all!" he yelled back, "you were freezin' t' death. If Gambit didn't find a way to warm y' up quick, y' mighta died from hypothermia. Jus' go feel dat dress a yours – it's still soakin' wet and Gambit don't even know how long it been out t' dry!"

There was a moment of silence before she bit out, "you move from that spot, swamp rat, jus' one little peek an' ah will rip both o' yer heads off!"

Remy grimaced, but smiled nonetheless. At least she was back to her normal pissy self again.

"Not 'n inch, Gambit swear," he promised and she grumbled something derogatory under her breath.

Seconds later he heard her crawl across the stones to where the dress was draped over a rock just inside the cave.

"Well no wonder the dang thing's still wet, ya moron, it's sittin' in the shade 'stead of the sun! Why didn't y' move these out so they'd dry?" she asked, exasperated, but somewhat calmed.

"Cause de sun's goin' down an' unless y' wanna put 'em in out dere in de open like a big fat flag dat says 'here we are,' Gambit don't suggest movin' it much."

"But we WANT to be found! The X-Men …"

"De X-Men ain't comin' _chere_," he explained gently as he came out from behind the tree and carefully tried to approach her again.

She had finally managed to stand and was leaning heavily on her left shoulder against the mouth of the cave.

"Dey don't know where we are and neither d' we. You got no powers and I can't use mine without bein' found by 'Pocalypse. So unless you got some sorta communicator hidden where d' sun don' shine, we on our own, _petite_."

With pink cheeks, she glared and looked away in a huff, which gave him a brief moment to study her.

She held the collar of his duster all the way up to her chin and used the same arm to anchor the garment across her chest. Her other elbow secured the opposite side and her left arm was wrapped around her waist. The coat fell strategically over her lower extremities, but her right leg remained exposed all the way from her foot to the top of her hip. Her arms and legs were still sporting some good bruises and scrapes, but she had some color in her face and limbs again and no longer looked like death warmed over.

He wondered why she still hadn't put the coat on completely, but guessed it was because she was warmer without it. The material was still damp, cold and slightly muddy, which was never a good combination for someone recovering from mild hypothermia. Plus, it was an easy 80 degrees out and she'd probably be better off without the sodden garment.

'_Now if Gambit could just convince her, too…_' he thought with a smirk.

Her face was streaked with dried dirt and clumps of mud and debris were plastered in her hair, but it was still thick and shiny despite its current condition. The white and auburn locks were starting to curl at the ends and he smiled as he realized why she straightened it so religiously – the subtle waves gave her a sweet, feminine look that softened her features and made her seem much more approachable.

Rogue looked up from her examination of the ravine to catch him staring openly at her. He tried to hold back a grin as she glared evilly and adjusted the coat again.

"Meanwhile," he continued unfazed, "Apocalypse is still lookin' for you. Probalby got minions all over tryin' to find you. Imagine he want his 'Queen' back pretty bad."

She paled.

"Don't call me that," she demanded quietly, but looked considerably shaken as she chewed on her bottom lip.

"Ah don't understand what that maniac would want with me anyhow…" she wondered out loud. Little did she know, that was a very loaded question and it was really a matter of how much she wanted to know and was prepared to hear.

"Well, _petite_," he started to explain, but there was a sudden loud crash from atop the cliffs that stopped him.

Rogue turned her head toward the noise with wide, curious eyes.

"What in the Sam Hill?" she asked aloud and tried to get a better view, but she stopped as she turned to look at Gambit. He was sprinting toward her with fear in his eyes and, startled, she took an instinctive step back.

"Gam…?" he cut her off as he clamped one hand over her mouth and the other around her waist. He scooped her up in one swift motion and ran to the back of the cave with their clothes in tow.

"Mmm MMM!!"

She tried to wiggle free of his grasp and fight him off, but he held tight to her small frame and dropped to his knees where a small three by four foot alcove was concealed in a recess of the cave. It was well hidden and fairly deep – most likely the home of a small woodland creature at one point.

He set her on her knees for a quick second, but kept his hand over her mouth as he threw the clothes in the back of the cave.

With the hand that wasn't trying to hold up the trench coat, Rogue tried prying Gambit's hand away from her mouth while he was distracted. She reached up and started to pull when he grabbed her roughly by the arm and jerked her exposed back against his own scantily clad body.

She tried to elbow him in the gut and he hissed in her ear.

"_Soyez silencieux_! (_Be quiet!_) Dat's Apocalypses' goons!"

She stilled immediately and he finally released her as he backed into the hole and sat with his legs crossed. His back was hunched slightly to avoid hitting his head and when he was as far back as he could go he waved for her to join him.

"There's no room!" she mouthed silently as her eyes darted to the cave's entrance, but she bent her head slightly to see if she could squeeze in next to him without touching.

Anxious and impatient, Remy lunged out and grabbed her around the waist again. He spun her as she fell forward and in less than a second, she was plopped down in his lap with her back against his chest.

The ruckus outside intensified as the trees surrounding the ravine began to crash down too. Rogue tried to cover herself as best she could while she shrunk against Gambit and pulled her knees up to her chin.

The feeling of his exposed chest on her naked back was almost enough to distract her from the present situation, but not quite. Instead of feeling afraid or worrying about being caught like she should have been though, Rogue was just plain irritated.

Her very first, real skin to skin contact was like this? She had always daydreamed that when she finally got control of her powers she'd simply saunter up to the first X-Boy she saw (preferably Scott) and plant a nice big kiss on the lucky guy.

Instead, she got this: huddled up completely naked and powerless in a damp, cold cave with the most arrogant, handsome, cocky, slimy, sexy, perverted, no-good Acolyte in the bunch.

'_Well,'_ she thought as Gambit pulled the corner of the trench over her exposed hip, '_at least it's better than Pyro or Sabertooth – they'd have just killed me instead_.' She remembered the hungry look in Sabertooth's eyes during their last encounter and shuddered. '_Or worse._'

It was also probably better than being with one of the X-Boys; they would have let her freeze to death rather than risk touching her, powers or no. Except maybe Scott or Logan; they wouldn't let her die of hypothermia, but the thought of Logan doing what Gambit had done made her feel queasy and she could only imagine how long it would take Scott to get up the guts to actually undress her. Plus, it would have been very awkward afterwards.

She rolled her eyes. It had probably taken Gambit less than 30 seconds to get both their clothes off and she didn't want to even consider how much of her he saw. The sheer notion made her blush furiously.

As if Gambit could sense her sudden discomfort, he playfully nudged her shoulder with his own. She turned her head a fraction to see him smile softly.

Well, maybe it wasn't so bad after all…

Gambit was able to make light of a difficult situation whereas Scott would have been a blubbering, blushing mess, and somehow, despite her current state of undress, she felt less vulnerable and more comfortable around the Acolyte than she would with any member of the X-Men.

Not that she'd tell him that.

"KaTHOOM!"

Rogue nearly jumped out of her skin when something very large and heavy crashed down in front of the cave. She actually dropped the coat for a split second and only hoped that Gambit hadn't noticed.

He had, however, noticed the close proximity of whatever was outside to their current position. He drew their legs farther in and shifted Rogue so she was seated across his lap with her back against the side wall and her knees near his chin.

He raised a silent finger to his lips and she nodded. By the amused smirk he gave her, she figured her face was the picture of utter terror, yet she didn't much care at the moment.

The thing outside moved again and judging from the way the stones groaned and cracked under its weight, Rogue guessed it was one of Apocalypse's giant stone monsters. She wasn't about to try and get a look though - the two she had encountered already were enough to give her nightmares for weeks.

The trees rustled outside and she could hear the stones shift and grate as it bent down near the mouth of the cave and tried to peer inside.

Rogue's heart was hammering away in her chest as she clenched her eyes shut tightly and prayed that they wouldn't be found out. Her bare arm was pressed against Gambit's chest and she could feel his heart thrumming in time with her own. Even though his face appeared calm and relaxed, she knew by his heart rate and the way every muscle was tensed that he was probably as frightened as she was.

Her breathing came in quick, shallow gasps as she felt eyes darting around the front of the cave and she wished she had some kind of a weapon just to hold for sanity's sake.

She felt Gambit's hand sift silently through the pockets of his coat as he extracted a deck of playing cards and a pocketknife. With a reassuring smile, he handed her the knife and held tight to the cards as she stared back at him quizzically.

When had he become a telepath?

The weapons proved unnecessary however, because a few moments later, the creature backed out of the mouth of the cave and began tromping through the ravine instead.

It was only when they heard the creature stomp away from the ravine and down into the valley below that Rogue dared to breathe again.

"Do ya think there gone?" she whispered in Gambit's ear.

"F'r now, _peut-etre (maybe)_, but not f'r long. We'll stay here t'night an' wait it out, but we best be movin' again come first light," he replied quietly. His breath tickled her ear and created goosebumps over her arms.

She nodded, but still clutched the pocket knife to her chest.

"Won' be no dinner t'night, _petite, je suis desole_." (_I'm sorry_) He brushed an errant lock of white hair from her eyes and smiled apologetically.

"S'okay," she replied softly and shut her eyes. She was inexplicably exhausted and was just realizing how badly her chest and stomach hurt as she tried to find a better position. Remy's lap was comfortable and all, but the heat she could feel radiating from him was making her incredibly uneasy.

She must have grimaced as she shifted because Remy suddenly reached over and pressed the back of his hand to her forehead. The gesture surprised Rogue and she opened her eyes to stare at him.

"Y' alright, _chere_?" he questioned. He was frowning as he studied her and his voice was positively dripping with concern. "Y' look a pale. Paler den normal even."

"Mmm," she pondered a moment, "don't know just yet. Ah feel a little queasy an' mah chest hurts fer some reason," she muttered quietly.

She had no idea why she was telling him all this, but she simply didn't care about anything right now. She was too tired and sore to put up a front and she figured he'd see right through it anyhow.

"S' normal I suppose. Y' been t'rough a lot Rogue. Try t' get some sleep, mebbe you feel better in d' morning." He brushed another lock of hair behind her ear and she managed a tired half smile.

"Kinda hard considerin' our situation."

"Here," he offered and pressed against the opposite side of the wall, "try curlin' up 'longside a me. You can use m' shirt for a pillow. Still a bit wet, but it'll do."

She simply nodded and extracted herself from Gambit's lap to lie next to him. She was careful to keep herself covered with the coat, but the notion of being so exposed next to the Acolyte didn't seem as horrifying anymore and she closed her eyes to settle in.

Within seconds she was curled up in a ball and sleeping soundly as Gambit kept watch.

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Lance was starting to get very uncomfortable.

He had received a number of curious, distrustful, threatening and even adoring glances from the various X-Men as he carried Kitty upstairs. The students were gathered in groups throughout the house and it seemed like they were all clustered in his path.

Wolverine had caught up to him in the basement and followed, claws extended, all the way up to the foyer before Storm had called for him.

"I'll be watchin you, bub," he'd growled menacingly before departing.

The Brotherhood had sniggered loudly when he passed by the living room and suddenly every X-Boy in the Mansion wanted a piece of him.

Glaring evilly from the stairs, Iceman, Berserker and Sunspot had all made fists to display their powers as he passed – a threat of what would happen if Avalanche didn't mind his P's & Q's.

The girls – that is, Amara, Jubilee and Rahne – all sighed and cooed through their tears and sniffles as he made his way into the girls' wing and even little Jaime had stopped him right outside Kitty's door.

"Watcha doin?" the young boy questioned quietly as he rocked back and forth on his heels. Tear tracks still stained his face and Lance's heart went out to him. He was too young to have to deal with death.

"I'm puttin' Kitty t' bed," he whispered back, "quiet, I don't wanna wake her up."

"Why not? Are you afraid she'll get mad at you or something?"

"Nooo…" Lance replied softly. "I just want her to stay asleep so she doesn't start crying again."

"Oh," Jaime said, almost crestfallen. Then, he perked up inexplicably with a wide smile.

"Kitty went to a concert with me once!" he declared proudly.

"Great for you," Lance rolled his eyes and tried to maneuver past the kid, who was getting annoying mighty fast.

"It was a date."

Lance held back a growl. Forget sympathy, he was going to slug this little brat in a minute.

"Ahem," Beast cleared his throat from down the hall. "Perhaps you could use a little assistance with that door?" he asked and smiled kindly at the boys.

"Uh, yeah, thanks," Lance shifted Kitty's sleeping form in his arms awkwardly. Her left arm was bandaged from the elbow to the shoulder where Beast had cut the sleeve away. The burn had practically melted the cloth to her skin and couldn't be removed any other way and Beast reasoned that the copious amount of pain medications he had given the girl was the most likely cause of her earlier outburst.

"Jaime, why don't you head down to the kitchen? I'm sure Ororo could use a few extra hands." Hank gently shooed the boy out of the way as he quietly opened the door for Lance.

"Sorry about that," he explained, "we're pretty close and everyone can get kind of … overprotective."

"Tell me about it. Wolverine's bad enough without everyone else making threats too," Lance agreed as he crossed the threshold.

"Ah yes, Logan. There's not much I can say about him except that he doesn't make threats, only promises. It's generally just best to stay out of his way and not make him mad."

Lance nodded with a gulp.

"Well, I'll just leave you be then," Beast grinned and started to close the door, "Oh, and Lance?"

"Yeah?" the boy turned to face the furry blue mutant with a half-smile.

"If you do anything inappropriate or hurt Kitty in any way, I'll let Logan cut you into little pieces so I can use your parts for my lab experiments."

Lance paled considerably as his smile vanished.

"Have a nice day!"

With that, Hank shut the door and left the visibly shaken boy to tend to Kitty.

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"Hey elf," Logan called as he approached the gazebo overlooking the ocean. After Ororo had chastised him for torturing Alvers and made him help with dinner as punishment, she had directed him to Kurt's hiding spot.

Kurt sat perched on the rail nearest the edge of the cliffs as he stared out over the water. The sun was beginning to set already and the sky danced with an array of pinks, purples, reds and oranges which were reflected on the tranquil sea. A calm, gentle breeze tousled the boy's hair playfully, but he took no notice of the scenery or the weather.

Logan slowly trudged over and rested his forearms over the top rail next to the boy. He sighed as he took in the hardened set of Kurt's jaw, the way his fists were clenched around the worn white wood and the way his tail lashed through the air.

They sat in silence for a few minutes when Logan finally hung his head and tried to find words to comfort the young man. What was he supposed to say to make the kid feel better when all he wanted to do was rip someone apart?

"Kurt, listen, I know this is tough for you…" damn he was bad at this.

"Don't try to give me a pep talk, _Herr_ (_mister_)Logan, vhen you don't know a damn zing about vhat I am feeling," Kurt bit out with a snarl. Both his voice and accent were thick with emotion as he gripped the rail tighter.

Logan turned to face the boy as he tried to hold back his own emotions. "You think I don't feel it too? You think I'm not angry and hurt and … and SAD? You kids, all of you kids, mean a lot to me, but Rogue…" he stopped to clear his throat.

"Rogue was special. Real special. And it's okay to be angry and upset and to mourn, but don't… don't bottle it up kid, or it'll eat you alive 'til there's nothing left. Don't let your emotions consume you and turn all that anger and grief into hate and bloodlust. I know how yer feeling right now elf, and I'm tellin' you - let it out, then let it go."

"Let it go?!" Kurt turned on Logan, incensed. His fangs were bared and his yellow eyes gleamed in the retreating sunlight. With his tail thrashing over his shoulder and pure fury etched on his face, he looked very much the part of a true demon.

"Let it GO?! She is my sister! _Mein schwester_ (_my sister_)!!! _Und_ (_and_), Mystique, _unsere mutter _(_our mother_), hand delivered her to Apocalypse _und_ now _SIE IST TOT_ (_she is dead)_!!! Don't you DARE tell me you know how I feel! You know NOTHING of how I feel. You've never had a real family so you don't know vhat it's like to lose one!!

"HEY!" Wolverine bellowed over Kurt's tirade, "I may not have had a sister, or a bitch of mother, but the X-Men are MY family and that girl was like a damn DAUGHTER to me, so don't YOU dare tell ME that I don't know how you feel! I've lost just as much as you kid – we all have."

"_Nein_, (_no_)" he replied quietly, "you haven't."

With that Kurt bamfed away leaving Logan to mutter curses under his breath.

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Lance laid Kitty down on top of the perfectly made bed and carefully unlaced her boots. He set them quietly on the floor and moved around to the other side of the bed to turn down the comforter.

Leaning over the bed, he gently shifted her over and slipped her feet under the sheets. She stirred for a moment, but with a soft sigh, quieted once again. She was still dressed in her dirty & torn X-Men uniform, but that couldn't be helped at the moment.

Lance kneeled down next to the bed and fingered the soft, pink floral pattern quilt as he tucked it up under her chin. He reached his hand up and gently smoothed her bangs behind her ear before glancing around the room.

Kitty's side was filled with stuffed animals – puppies, kittens, ponies and even a little stuffed dragon that was hidden beneath her pillow. With a silent chuckle, he carefully pried the toy out and placed it under the covers with the girl. There were posters of Mandy Moore, Michelle Branch, Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom on the wall and all of the décor – from the lamp on the desk to the rug on the floor – were doused with pink accents.

Rogue's side, on the other hand, was just the opposite. There was no sign of any stuffed animals, and it was quite plain and unordinary compared to the valley girl. The quilt was a simple cream color with matching pillowcases and no pattern to speak of, but the sheets and bed skirt were deep green. Her desk was clean and neat with no memorabilia or knick knacks and only a vampire novel lay on top. There were two posters on either wall – one of Evanescence and the other of Alanis Morissette.

Strangely, Lance noticed, not a trace of Rogue's Goth image had bled into her living space. In fact, if he didn't know any better, he might have mistaken it for somebody else's room entirely.

He released a deep, anguished sigh and closed his eyes for a moment. It was just so hard to believe she was really gone.

Looking back to the sleeping girl with her tear streaked face, he smiled and brushed a lock of wispy brown hair from her eyes and caressed her cheek.

"Sleep well Pretty Kitty," he whispered. As he stood to leave, he leaned over and gently kissed her forehead before turning to the door.

"Mmm… Lance?" Kitty called groggily as the boy was about to reach for the door handle. He immediately returned to her side though and, dropping to his knees beside the bed, took her hand in his own while being mindful of her injured arm.

"I'm here Kitten," he answered quietly.

She looked him in the eye for a moment – a silent question in her gaze – and when he frowned sadly and hung his head, her eyes filled with tears.

"Oh Lance, tell me it's not true. Tell me she's not dead." The slight girl hugged her knees to her chest and began to cry softly.

"Okay," he replied as he sat next to her on the bed, "it's not true."

Kitty managed a small, bemused snort and sat quietly while Lance rubbed soft circles over her back. Her right cheek rested on her knees as she stared out of the French doors at the beautiful setting sun.

She sighed and turned her head to gaze at Rogue's side of the room. As she looked around and took in the sparse décor, her breathing became shallow, quick & labored as she tried to keep from crying again.

She failed miserably.

"Oh Kitty."

Lance put his arm around the sobbing girl and pulled her into his lap.

"I know Kit, I know," he soothed while stroking her hair and rocking her gently. "It's gonna be tough, but we'll get through, you'll see." He kissed the top of her head and rested his chin on her drooping ponytail.

They stayed that way until the sun began to sink under the horizon and cast a brilliant orange glow throughout the room.

Kitty's breathing was starting to even out and her sniffles became less and less frequent. She had nearly drifted off once more when loud, angry sounding, "BAMF" cut through the silence causing both teens to jump.

Lance fell straight off the bed onto his butt and as a result Kitty smacked her skull on the headboard.

"Ow!" they both cried in unison and turned to the source of the disturbance.

Kurt had landed between Rogue's desk and bed and whirled around to glare at the pair, "Get out!" he cried as his tail lashed out around him.

"Hey man, chill out." Lance raised his hands as he stood and took a step toward Kitty.

"Both of you, get out!!" he cried again and his eyes gleamed angrily.

"Kurt…" Kitty tried to reach for him as she climbed slowly from her bed.

"_Ich sagte kommen heraus_!" (_I said get out) _he shouted again. His voice was unnaturally vicious and it startled Kitty enough that she phased through the bed and fell to the floor in front of Lance.

The Brotherhood boy helped her to her feet gently, but he noticed that she was cradling her burned arm and biting her lip in pain.

"Look what you did you jerk!" The floor started to rumble as Avalanche clenched his fist and tried to advance on Nightcrawler. In return, Kurt snarled and took a step forward as well.

"Kurt, Lance! Knock it off right now!" Kitty screamed as she ran right through Lance to stand between the two boys.

"Lance, leave, please," she gave him an imploring look.

"But…"

"Now!"

Lance looked between the two and narrowed his eyes at Kurt before finally stalking to the door.

"I'll be right outside if you need me," he promised with a knowing look to Kurt.

Kitty gazed at her blue friend before turning back to Lance. "We won't."

The Brotherhood leader regarded the two cautiously, but nodded and left the room.

"Kurt…" Kitty tried again.

"Please leave Keety, I need to be alone." The blue mutant turned his back to the girl and cast his eyes on Rogue's part of the room instead.

"No, you like, don't," she demanded and grabbed his arm, trying to make him face her. "You've been alone all day and it's not good for you."

He ripped his arm from her grasp and finally turned to her with a snarl, "Oh, are you going to give me a pep talk too? Try to make me feel better about my sister being dead?"

"No," she replied quietly and hung her head. She sniffled a bit and then looked back up to him with tears in her eyes. She reached for his hand and he numbly let her take it.

"I don't want to 'feel better' about Rogue dying either," she started, "but, I am here for you. I can't tell you how to feel or what to think or how to go on, Kurt. And… and I can't tell you that I know how you feel, because I don't."

She turned her head away, but still held fast to his hand. "To be, like, completely honest, I don't ever want to know how you feel."

A single tear dripped down Kitty's cheek. "It sucks bad enough to like, lose my best friend. I can't imagine losing a sister too."

"I … I don't … Keety…" Kurt's knees buckled and the two dropped to the floor.

"She…she… Oh God, Keety, my sister. Rogue… Rogue!!"

Kurt's anguished cry reverberated off the walls as the boy finally collapsed into Kitty's embrace and the two sobbed together as they grieved for their lost friend.

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Ooookay! So, this was another long one for me. I know it's not much in the scheme of things, but wow does it ever take me forever to write.

So we hit 25 reviews, but they seemed so sporadic and weird that I think I'll just try my best to update every Friday. I waited an extra week this time because I had the entire thing done on Sunday, but I wanted reviews… :D Sorry. But the more reviews I get the sooner I'll post! I get really excited when I get a review, ANY review, and I immediately run back to my keyboard, work or no, and start up again.

I hope you all liked the ROMYand LANCITTY goodness. I tried very hard for you. Please keep voting for your favorite Kitty pairing and I'll do more. I've got another KIOTR scene coming up soon!

Thanks again for all the reviews – I'm off to start on another chapter.

P.S. I would LOVE to hit 200 reviews. I'm about 31 off right now so… yeah. Incentive? Bribery? Blackmail? Call it what you will, I just want my reviews. It really, really helps me stay motivated to keep updating.

See you next FRIDAY! HAPPY HALLOWEEN EVERYONE!! (OR Samhain for those of you who know of what I speak…)

Blessed BE!

Love and light,

Wiccamage


	11. Chapter 11: Nightmares

So I was sitting at this really boring meeting last week and I pulled out my pen and paper and started scribbling away for this story. When I was done though, I had to help clean everything up and put chairs away, etc. etc, and someone skyffed (pronounced sky-ff-d) my paper! I'm so pissed! Almost two full LEGAL size pages of story and now it's gone. D& them!

Anyhow, starting over again, here's another update. If it sounds off or different from the rest of the story, let me know. We're walking into uncharted territory here now, so I'm just winging it!

Wish me luck!

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_A single tear dripped down Kitty's cheek. "It sucks bad enough to like, lose my best friend. I can't imagine losing a sister too."_

"_I … I don't … Keety…" Kurt's knees buckled and the two dropped to the floor. _

"_She…she… Oh God, Keety, my sister. Rogue… Rogue!!" _

_Kurt's anguished cry reverberated off the walls as the boy finally collapsed into Kitty's embrace and the two sobbed together as they grieved for their lost friend._

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_Clip clop, clip clop, clip-clop, clip-clop, clipclop clipclop, clipclop clipclop, clipclopclipclopclipclopclipclop_

The golden sandals wrapped around Rogue's feet made an obscene amount of noise as she walked, then scuttled, jogged and finally sprinted down the dark, musty corridor. The inky blackness enveloped the air and the few sparse torches only gave a hint of illumination on the ancient stone walls. The hall was small and stifling and the air reeked of death, sweat and blood. The combination, in addition to the heat from the torches and her own fear, made Rogue gag and choke on the tainted oxygen.

She could scarcely see as she ran through the hallway and she hadn't a clue where she was going, but the growing anxiety in her gut was pushing her to move… fast.

She continued to run down the unending hall – only the tiny orbs of light giving her any indication of direction, distance or speed – and she glanced back over her shoulder occasionally to try and see what it was she was running from.

Behind her, only the looming blackness gave chase, but the adrenaline in her brain screamed of danger and she pushed herself to keep going.

_Clipclopclipclopclipclopclipclop clipclopclipclopclipclopclipclop clipclopclipclopclipclopclipclop_

The clopping sound from her shoes reverberated off the walls and nearly deafened her amidst the eerie silence, but there was not time to stop and remove them. Her legs throbbed with the sheer effort to keep moving and the exhaustion she felt in her limbs threatened to overtake her.

The sleeveless black dress flowed behind her as she sprinted down the passage and her hair, curly and tangled from her earlier battle with the river, whipped around and stung her eyes as she looked back again.

Her breaths came in short, labored gasps and she wrapped an arm around her aching ribs. Her lungs were filled with fire, she was certain of it, and her heart felt as though it would burst out of her chest at any minute. The very act of breathing was made even more difficult with the insufferable heat and stench.

Claustrophobia began to set in as sweat beaded across her forehead and dripped over her eyelids and down her nose. The salty water stung her eyes and threatened to blind her as she blinked the water from her eyes and swiped feebly at the moisture. It only served to further aggravate the droplets, though, as they plastered her hair to her face and the white strands stubbornly obstructed her vision.

Her skin glistened with perspiration and the torchlight reflected off the exposed white flesh, casting a ghostly glow upon the frightened girl. Her face, however, was flushed with heat and adrenaline and the contrast of the rosy hue in her cheeks to the paleness of her natural skin tone made her dilated green eyes sparkle more vividly.

As she turned again, the pain in her ribs increased and she nearly cried out. She felt as if an invisible hand were slowly crushing the life out of her and she frantically searched for a door or an alcove – somewhere – that she could hide and catch her breath.

Instead, an intersecting corridor greeted her and she stopped abruptly to take stock of her situation and allow her body a moment of reprieve.

Bending over, she gulped down air as she clung to her throbbing ribs. Still, the fear gripped her and despite the ache in her body, she straightened slightly as she attempted to get her bearings.

She had three choices – two were wrong.

As she turned to look down each infinite corridor, one hand still wrapped around her waist and the other leaning against her knee, a booming cackle echoed through all three passageways and she clamped both hands over her ears to deflect some of the deafening din.

"Do you think you can run from me, my queen?" a harsh, evil voice questioned from somewhere in the darkness.

Frozen with terror, Rogue's eyes widened imperceptibly as she spun around to find the source of the voice.

Within seconds adrenaline thrummed through her veins and clutching her ribs again, she darted down the left corridor and began running as quickly as her battered body would allow. She tried to put some distance between herself and the monster at her heels while the torches flickered and dimmed as if hailing her doom.

The laughter reverberated off the sandstone floors and walls causing her ears to ring. She wanted to close her eyes and just wake up from this nightmare, but no matter how hard she pinched herself, she couldn't escape.

She took a fleeting look back again and saw a pair of angry violet eyes gleaming in the darkness.

She screamed.

It was strangled and breathy, but it was as much as her burning lungs could manage. She kept her gait, however, and tried to push herself to give just a little more.

She ran for eons before turning back again. The eyes were closer now – larger and more menacing as another cackle erupted from the darkness.

She closed her eyes in silent prayer as she continued onward, but the breath caught in her throat and stuck as the clammy, oppressive atmosphere closed in.

Her eyes shot open as she wheezed in a mere teaspoon of air, but the lack of oxygen made her head spin and her balance and coordination was suddenly off kilter. As exhaustion set in her foot dragged for a fraction of a second too long and she crumbled to floor.

"Nuuuh!"

Her right hand took the brunt of the fall and she heard a slight pop as the wrist gave under her weight. The course rock tore at her already bruised body and the last fraction of air was ripped from her lungs as she landed hard on her stomach and chest.

Rogue lay sprawled across the dirty stone floor, unable to move. The cool rock was soothing to her burning face and lungs, but the pressure on her ribs left her dizzy and nauseas.

With a pained groan, Rogue dragged her already bleeding arms along the ground and tried to stand. She could feel the tiny flecks of sand embed themselves into the small wounds and she tried not to wince as she braced herself and pushed off with the little strength she had left.

It was not enough.

Her injured wrist collapsed under the pain and pressure imposed upon it and she only managed to turn herself onto her back. She coughed and heaved as the air rushed back into her lungs and tears stung her eyes even as she bit down on her lower lip.

The resounding chuckle was dull and quiet even as she felt it's owner move closer. She squeezed her eyes tight and willed herself to wake up.

It was only a dream. She knew it was a dream. She had just been lying next to Remy in that cave and suddenly she was here, back in Apocalypse's tomb?

It was only a dream.

So why couldn't she wake up?

Rogue felt another deep chuckle radiating from above and with her eyes still closed, she tried to inch her way backwards along the rough floor.

"It's just a dream; it's just a dream; it's just a dream," she whispered out loud.

Apocalypse sniggered in response.

"If this is a mere dream, my dear, then why do you not awaken?" he asked, clearly amused.

Rogue opened her eyes and stared up in horror at the super mutant. Blood was flowing freely from her forearms as she tried to scoot away from him, but he simply kneeled before her and placed both hands upon her ankles – effectively stopping all movement.

She clenched her jaw shut to keep her chin from quivering, but she knew her eyes would betray her tough façade.

"Are you going to tell me you are not frightened of the great Apocalypse?" he chortled. His eyes gleamed and danced in the minimal lighting and his grip on her ankles tightened slightly.

Rogue resisted the urge to try and pull herself from his grasp and merely shook her head. Her pulse was hammering in her throat and her breath was shallow and uneven as she watched him watching her.

She licked her lips nervously and noted, with a growing sense of nausea, that his eyes followed the path of her tongue too closely. She pursed her lips and tried to hide them from his sight.

Apocalypse smiled wickedly. "I am too obvious, it seems," he observed and attempted to move closer.

Injured wrist and all, Rogue responded to his advance by throwing all her weight away from him and she managed to free her ankles simultaneously.

She didn't go far, however, as her back instantly hit a solid stone wall and she glanced upward at it, wondering how it had appeared so suddenly.

Apocalypse chuckled again. "This may be your dream, my dear queen, but I can manipulate everything in it."

Rogue swallowed hard and tried to suppress the scream that was rising up in her throat.

"Wha – what do you want with me?" she asked, her voice quaking and breathy.

He smiled salaciously as he crawled, catlike, toward her.

"Everything."

Rogue cringed and tried to press herself farther against the wall as she drew her knees up to her pounding chest.

"Why?"

Apocalypse stopped, his face a mere foot from her knees, and peered down at her.

"You have great power, Rogue. I can help you control it. You can be whomever you chose, do whatever you please, have anyone you want…"

An image of Scott's face floated in the darkness just beyond Apocalypse and Rogue swallowed again. In a wisp of smoke, however, the face changed, and Rogue was suddenly staring into the red and black eyes of Remy Lebeau.

She looked away quickly, refusing to acknowledge the apparition, and guided her attention back to Apocalypse.

"But… why? Why do you care about mah powers? Why me? Why not the Professor or, or Jean? They're way more powerful than ah am." She didn't want to sick the proverbial dog on her friends, but she was absolutely frantic to stall him.

"That is where you are wrong, my queen," he began with a wicked smile, "once I have unlocked your powers completely, you will be more powerful than any of your friends combined. Just think of it Rogue. No more voices, no more hiding your true self from everyone. You'll be completely free to do whatever you like, wear whatever you like."

"Yeah, and none of it'll matter anyhow 'cause you'll just kill everybody and destroy the world!" she spat. She glared murderously at him, but the hunger in his eyes made her turn away in disgust.

"I do not wish to destroy the world, my queen, only to improve it."

"Stop callin' meh that!" she bellowed and covered her ears tightly.

Apocalypse sat back on his heels and drew a long breath. "You will be my queen Rogue. Once the ritual is complete, you will be mine. Your mind, your powers…everything."

He reached out to caress her cheek and she turned her head away sharply. Undeterred, he ran the back of his finger along her jaw, and trailed it down the side opposite side of her neck and over her collar bone before finally dipping it to the top of her dress.

Rogue tried desperately not to shudder or flinch as Apocalypse traced the hem of her tube top and instead waited until his attention was focused entirely on her bosom before she struck.

As his hand followed the curves of her dress, Rogue tensed her legs and suddenly threw her knees directly into his nose. She heard a satisfying crunch as blood began to pour from his nostrils and he reeled back, landing on his butt on the stone floor.

Her foot followed his decent and with as much force as she could muster, she brought her heel down on his groin before springing up and bolting down the hall. She only managed a mere 20 feet though, when an invisible hand wrapped around her ankle and knocked her to the ground.

"Aah!" Rogue cried out as her injured ribs slammed against the stone and stole her breath. Before she could regain it though, she was dragged over the floor toward Apocalypse.

Despite the inability to breathe, Rogue grappled for a hold on uneven sandstone. She dug her nails into the rock, but it only served to rip the fragile cartilage from her fingers.

She screamed again from the combined pain and fear, but it did not slow her momentum. Within seconds she was lying at the feet of Apocalypse, who had thick red blood running down his chin and neck and a vicious look of rage in his eyes.

"How dare you defy me! I am Apocalypse!" he bellowed and delivered a brutal kick to Rogue's side.

"Uhh," Rogue moaned and turned on her side and curled into the fetal position as Apocalypse continued to kick her in the back, legs and arms.

She screamed for a third time as she felt one of her lower ribs crack, but she did not beg for mercy. Instead she bit her lip hard enough to draw blood until Apocalypse had apparently had enough of torturing her.

He took a long, deep breath and slowly released it. Placing one foot on either side of her body, he loomed over her and crouched down close. With one hand, he yanked her by the shoulder to lie flat on her back and then deliberately sat on her pelvis.

Rogue used her feet for leverage and tried to buck him off as she threw her limited weight to the side. Apocalypse simply laughed and, hooking his feet down over her shins, pinned her to the floor.

She retaliated by punching him across the jaw and while the impact left her knuckles bruised, she was satisfied that the force was at least enough to leave him smarting.

Apocalypse rubbed his jaw carefully and glared down Rogue. She attempted to hit him again, but he caught her injured wrist and she yelped in pain. She tried to punch with her left, but he caught that one too and, wrapping one massive hand around both her petite wrists, he pinned her arms above her head and towered over her.

"Noooooooooo!!!!!!" Rogue screamed as loud and hard as she could muster before Apocalypse shifted his weight and leaned against her broken ribs.

"Ugh…"

Rogue's head began to spin from the combination of the pain in her ribs and lack of oxygen. Tears leaked from her eyes as she clenched them shut and willed herself not to sob.

"You will be my queen, Rogue. The ritual will be complete once your body becomes mine, then your mind and powers will follow."

With all the breath left in her lungs Rogue screamed out again before Apocalypse silenced her with his clammy blue lips.

"GAMBIT!"

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Gambit had just nodded off when he heard Rogue whimper softly.

"Hmm, what? Gambit ain't sleepin'" he muttered as he was dragged from the edges of peaceful oblivion.

With bleary eyes, he cast his gaze to Rogue. She lay on her side facing him and was sleeping, albeit none too soundly, as her closed eyes darted wildly behind their lids. Occasionally her legs or head would twitch abruptly and Gambit could only imagine what horrors her nightmare was unveiling.

Her breathing was quick and labored and she subconsciously covered her ribs with her arm. Even in sleep her face was contorted with fear and agony and Remy frowned. It wasn't right the poor girl had to go through all this.

He rubbed his hand along the jacket covering her arm. "Rogue, _chere_, time to wake up _petite_," he ushered quietly.

Instead of waking, though, her entire body tensed suddenly as her head pivoted back and forth and she covered her ears with her hands. She was trembling all over as Gambit grasped her shoulder gently and tried to shake her.

"Rogue, wake up. Come on _chere_, wake up."

He was rewarded with a loud gasp that sounded like a mix between a moan and a scream, but she did not awaken.

"Rogue? Rogue!" Gambit knew this was no typical nightmare as she groaned in agony and her body contorted within the small confines of the cave's alcove.

The air rushed from her lungs and she lie motionless.

"Rogue!" Gambit shouted as he inched closer to her and rolled her onto her back. Finally, she groaned again and began wheezing and coughing as tears streamed from her closed eyes.

"Wake up, _chere_, wake up!" he cried and sitting at her side, cradled her head in the crook of his elbow.

Her eyes remained closed, but her lips moved almost imperceptibly and Remy placed his ear close to her mouth.

"… just a dream. It's just a dream…"

"Dat's right Rogue, it's jus' a dream. Come on _cherie_, wake up." He shook her shoulder with more force while simultaneously trying not to jostle her head or ribs.

She was unresponsive for a few moments before she suddenly jerked backward and thumped into the hard rock wall of the alcove.

"Rogue!" Gambit knew he would have to restrain the unconscious girl before she hurt herself, but was afraid to risk injuring her further.

He inched toward her and even with her eyes closed she seemed to cower from him. Sighing, Remy moved toward her again slowly. He reached out for her, intent on guiding her back to the dirt floor when she suddenly jerked forward and body slammed him back to the ground.

Even within the throws of her dream state terrors, Rogue bolted for the mouth of the cave.

"_Merde!_" Remy cursed as he quickly righted himself and chased after the sleeping girl.

"Rogue stop!" he demanded, even knowing that his pleas would fall on deaf, delusional ears.

"Stop, _chere_!"

This time, he flung himself at her and just managed to grab hold of her ankle as she reached the cave's entrance.

"AH!" she yelped as fell face first onto the rocky earthen floor.

Remy winced. It was very probable that he had cracked or broken a few of her ribs while performing CPR and the fall would more than likely exacerbate the damage.

As Remy kneeled next to her, she suddenly curled into the fetal position and began to flinch away from some invisible attack.

He watched with growing horror as he noticed a dark, angry bruise forming along her hip. She huddled there, whimpering and trembling in the predawn glow, as more bruises began to litter her back and legs.

"_Mon dieu! Chere!_" Gambit was beside himself as he tried to figure out a way to help her. She would not wake despite his efforts and seemed completely lost within her own mind. He knew this delusional episode was Apocalypse's doing and instinctively cast his eyes around the ravine as if expecting an attack.

Remy reached for Rogue's shoulder and gently coaxed her onto her back once more. Her eyes remained closed but tears continued to pool on her lids and drip down her cheeks intermittently.

"What do I do?" he lamented quietly and leaned in close to her face as if searching for an answer when he was suddenly struck across the jaw.

Damn that girl had a mean punch.

He grimaced in pain, but was instantly distracted by her left hand as it came up for a second round. Carefully holding both hands in his own, he tried to be as tender with her as possible as she struggled against him and tried to scream out again.

He clamped his hand over her mouth though and nervously looked around the clearing for any sign of Apocalypse's monsters.

Her hips bucked in the air wildly before she gasped and lie still.

"Oh _cherie,_" he whispered softly and removed his hand from her mouth. He reached up and peeled a stubborn white lock from her tear and sweat streaked face. Stroking her cheek gently, he frowned as she winced and wheezed.

Her face was screwed up in utter torment and a single tear fell from Remy's dark eyes as he hung his head in despair.

"_S'il vous plait, _Rogue, wake up. _Pour moi?_" (please… for me?) He caressed her cheek again as tears started cascading down her puffy, red face.

"Rogue…?"

"GAMBIT!"

The sudden outburst, not to mention hearing her scream his name, caused the Cajun to jump significantly. The shriek was piercing, soul-wrenching and extremely loud and Remy was forced to cover her mouth again.

Watching her suffer like this was ripping him apart inside and he moved to cradle her bare form in his arms. He was nearly on the brink of tears when she arched against him and sucked in air eagerly.

The sudden onslaught to her lungs made her cough violently and she weakly wrapped both arms around her aching ribs.

Then, as if feeling the foreign arms around her for the first time, she began punching and clawing at Remy's naked chest.

"No! No! Let me go! Ah ain't yer damn queen! Let me go!!!" she screamed loudly as she vainly attempted to escape Gambit's embrace.

"Rogue? Rogue!" Green eyes, rimmed with red and shining with tears looked up at him dumbly for a moment before recognition set in.

"G- Gambit?" she questioned, her voice low and shaky.

"Oh, t'ank God. Rogue," he heaved a sigh of relief and hugged her tighter to him.

She whimpered and bit her already bruised lip.

"_Merde,_ _je suis desole, _Rogue."

She shook her head silently and turned her face to Remy's chest, trying to bury herself within the strong, protective muscle.

She sniffled through the wheezing.

"Oh gawd, Remy, it was awful," she whispered into him, "please, please don't let him get me."

Between the physical pain and the horrors of her mental encounter with Apocalypse, he could tell she was on the verge of hysterics and did his best to soothe her.

"Shh, _petite_. He ain't gonna hurt you none now, Remy be here. Remy protect you now." He smoothed her hair back away from her face and rubbed her back softly – mindful of the bruises there.

She hissed in pain and clutched her ribs tighter.

"Gawd. Hurts… so much," she managed between labored breaths.

"Lemme see," he ushered as he carefully laid her back down on the stones.

She bit her lip and attempted to cover herself with her arms as she looked away from him.

Purely professional, Gambit examined the purple blotches along her ribs that were set in deep contrast to the paleness of her stomach.

"Shit, _chere_, it looks like I broke some ribs after all." He rubbed his hands over his face. Their situation just became a lot more difficult.

Rogue turned a reproachful eye to him. "What d' ya mean, YOU broke 'em. Apocalypse musta done it just now. Ah'm pretty sure one of the ribs on mah back's cracked too."

Remy reached over and slowly turned her to her side to examine the damage to her back and spine. The bruises were fading somewhat, but still looked very painful.

He frowned.

"Rogue, what exactly just happened to you. I mean physically wise. Did he hit you in d' back or somt'in?"

She nodded from her prone position on the ground.

"Kicked actually."

"Anyt'ing else? You hurtin' anywhere ot'er den your back an' ribs?"

She nodded again. "Mostly the ribs and back, but I ripped my fingernails out too an' there still smartin' pretty bad. Mah wrist too." She held the right hand up to show him the swollen joint, but frowned when she found it had no signs of damage.

"What the…"

She twisted and flexed her wrist and frowned when a twinge of pain shot through it, but the injury was nowhere near as bad as it had felt in her dream.

"Mindscape, _chere_, everyt'ing feels as real as can be dere, but you get back to de real world an' it all fades away." He frowned. "'Cept dem bruises on y'r back. Can't figure dat one out."

She chewed on her lip for a moment and her eyes lit up slightly in realization.

"Apocalypse kicked me in the back. The rest of it all just happened. Ah fell and hurt mah wrist, tore my fingernails tryin' t' get away, even ripped up mah arms real bad." She held the backs of her forearms up for Gambit to view.

"See? Nothin'. Ah'm bettin' that everything Apocalypse did to me directly is stayin' but the rest is fadin' 'cause I kinda did it t' myself."

She attempted to sit up but winced and grabbed her ribs again.

"Except these. Shit. Why doesn't it fade too?" she asked the Cajun with a weary glance.

"Told ya _chere_, 'cause you didn't do dat, I did."

"What d' ya mean, you did it? When? Why?" she had her eyes closed and her brow furrowed with one arm slung across her chest and the other over her ribs.

Gambit cleared his throat and moved to stand.

"'S from de CPR Rogue. Ya drowned. Musta broke a few ribs during de chest compressions."

Rogue opened her eyes and turned to stare at him.

CPR? He had performed CPR on her? She had drowned? Really, truly, drowned?

"So wait, ah was just unconscious right? Swallowed too much water?" There was a sudden lump in her throat as she contemplated what he had just revealed.

Gambit ignored her as he walked back to the cave to retrieve their clothes. Within moments, a loud ripping sound was heard before Gambit returned with a wad of black cloth in one hand and their respective garments draped over the opposite arm.

He sighed and draping the coat back over her nude form, looked her in the eye.

"_Non_ _cherie_. Y' were dead. Legally, technically dead. F'r prob'ly 'bout 10 minutes. No heartbeat, no breathin'… nothin'." He swallowed hard and turned his attention to the wad of cloth as he began to tie it in knots.

Rogue, however, was trying not to hyperventilate. She had DIED??? Really died? Not the same kind of death as Logan, who just regenerated continuously, but the kind of death from which one doesn't normally return. She had never entertained thoughts of death or suicide. Not really. Sure she had thought about how much easier life would be is she were dead, but that would just defeat the whole point of life.

She licked her lips. Her mouth was suddenly dry and she was aching for water.

"Huh," she finally uttered after a few moments of contemplation.

"Dat's it, just, 'huh.' Y' DIED Rogue. Don't it deserve more den dat?" he seemed angry for some reason she couldn't understand at the moment. What was the big deal to him anyhow? He shouldn't even care.

"What's it matter t' you? Ah'd think you'd rather me be dead. Ah mean, really that's probably the best thing all around, right? If ah'm dead, then Apocalypse doesn't have me t' use as a weapon or," she shuddered, "or whatever the hell he wants with me. It's kinda win/win that way ain't it?"

Gambit didn't appear to see it that way though and his eyes flashed angrily.

"No, it ain't win/win 'cause you'd be dead! Don't dat matter none t' you or did I risk MY life for nothing when I rescued you?"

"Rescued? You call THAT a rescue?! HA! A buncha blind hyena's could done a better job at rescuin' me!" her voice raised a pitch as she glared up at him. She finally managed to prop herself up a tad, but didn't want to sit up completely for fear of losing the coat again. And exactly how did she lose it in the first place?

"You pull me out of a 10 story hole in a mountain to fall in a river, which miraculously didn't kill us on the spot, then ah drown, nearly get found by those monsters, get attacked by Apocalypse in mah dreams and now ah've got broken ribs t' boot? Oh yeah, you did a FINE job of rescuin' me Gambit. Maybe next time you should leave it to the professionals – you know the people who DON'T work for crazies like Magneto."

Gambit held back a grimace, but he couldn't stop his eyes from flashing in anger. Couldn't stop the biting remarks from escaping his lips.

"At least Gambit's here t' rescue you! Don't see how you would a' got y'rself outta dere bein' so helpless and weak as y' were. An' y'r friends obviously ain't here t' help now are dey? So dat makes m' wonder… Why ain't dey here by now, eh? Mebbe dey just got tired a' havin' such a vapid _connaise _'round spoilin' everyone's mood, eh? Mebbe dey decided dat d' Rogue jus' ain't wort' all de trouble she causin' and figure dey cut dere losses."

Her face was twisted up in rage as she glared at him, but he couldn't help noticing the way her eyes shone with moisture or how her chin quivered slightly despite it's fierce appearance.

"Gimme that dress an' git outta mah sight swamp rat. Ah want nothin' to do with you an' yer rescuing," she bit out as she turned away from him and held out her free hand.

Sighing, he dropped the silk in her outstretched palm and turned back toward the cave.

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K- I know, I'm sorry and I know. It's much, much shorter than anticipated, but I promised by Friday. Plus I wanted it posted for Halloween!

Second, I know this chapter probably feels off, but I'm hitting a freakin' road block here all the sudden. I'm almost out of ideas and I wasn't sure how to transition from here.

If anyone has some great advice for me, I'd really appreciate it. I have a forum on FFN called "Literary Discussion of Romy stories and more" that I would love to have people talk about "Getting Warmer" with me. I've already posted my plea for help on it, but sadly, no responses.

www (.) fanfiction(.)net / s / 3784232 / 11 / - just remove the (parenthesis) & spaces.

Please, please, please review, check out the forum, anything that will help me wrap my brain around this thing again. I'm going to go nuclear this weekend!

Love and light,

Wiccamage


	12. Chapter 12: Aftershocks

Chapter 12:

I am SO sorry for the late update, but hey! At least I made it before midnight my time! I wanted to get this out by Friday after work early, but it's been a pretty busy week and I haven't had much time to write. Currently it's Friday at five my time and I've only got two pages…

I was hoping to make up for last week's shoddy update, but it appears 11 was still pretty good. After I read back through it I felt a little better about the content, just not the length. I'm glad most of you seemed to like it; it makes me feel accomplished and hopeful that my muse hasn't completely escaped me.

Thanks to all of my reviewers for taking the time to let me know how I'm doing. I can only improve by getting feedback from all of you.

Thanks again!

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Jean Grey was not sleeping well.

Dressed in a knee-length red and white jersey nightshirt, she had tossed and turned for the last few hours and there was still no hope of sleep in sight. The pale blue comforter and matching sheets were twisted and tangled at the foot of her bed - the result of alternating from being bone-numbing cold to molten lava hot and the poor linens had paid the toll.

She tried again to block out the flood of emotional tension exuding from the residents of the mansion, but it was too thick and heavy to allow the young telepath any sort of blissful slumber. How was she supposed to get any rest when everyone else's nightmares invaded her own?

Jean raked her fingers through her disheveled red hair and groaned as she glared at the clock.

It was nearly 6 a.m.

Thankfully the Professor and Wolverine had cancelled training sessions for the next few days to give everyone a chance to rest and recover from yesterday's terrible loss. Tears stung the red head's eyes for a moment as she thought back to the Professor's words.

Rogue was dead.

Jean sighed and rolled onto her side, clutching her large stuffed brown teddy bear to her chest. Scott had won it for her at the spring carnival a week before graduation.

She buried her nose in the faux fur. It smelled like him and she took comfort in the familiarity.

Scott.

She had always known that Rogue had a small crush on him, but Jean had hoped that with a little time and work, the gothic girl would grow up and grow out of it.

Jean rolled onto her back with the stuffed bear still secured in her embrace and sighed again.

Now, Rogue would never know what real love felt like. She would never have the chance to experience the butterflies of a first kiss; never feel that floating on air sensation from her first real dance; never get lost in the comforting embrace of a lover's touch; she would never do any of the things other "normal" girls got to do.

Jean never got along well with the girl, but that didn't mean she didn't care. Of course she cared. They had never been 'friends' and gone to movies or shopping or stuff like that, but Rogue's her teammate – her family.

The redhead winced. Well, she WAS her family. The knowledge that one of her teammates, her family, had been killed because of their failure was sickening.

And she had never been truly close to Rogue either. Jean could only imagine what the others – especially Kitty and Kurt – were going through. Everyone felt guilty, but those privileged few that Rogue had been close to were devastated. Those few were the main reason sleep was eluding Jean now.

Kurt, Kitty, Wolverine and even Scott were feeling the real pangs of Rogue's loss and that overpowering grief, coupled with the anger, fear and sadness emanating from the other students was enough to drive Jean's control over the brink.

Jean groaned as another surge of desperation and regret washed over her. This one was stronger than the others and she new immediately to whom it belonged.

Scott wasn't sleeping either.

Jean had to bite her lip in order to bring the swell back under control and for a moment, she was actually jealous.

Scott was thinking very hard about Rogue and his thoughts and feelings for his dead friend were leaking through Jean's psychic barrier.

She knew he was suffering with the recent events, but she had no idea how strongly he felt about the other girl. Instead of snooping into his emotions any further, Jean opened their psychic link.

'_Scott?'_ she whispered in her mind.

'_Jean? You awake too?'_ he answered and she could hear the fatigue and sorrow in his voice.

'_Yeah, can't sleep either. Too many people projecting. I'm having a hard time keeping up my shields,' _she responded wearily.

He did not reply, but a few moments later she heard a soft knock on her bedroom door. She opened it telekinetically and Scott quietly snuck in. His long blue drawstring pants and plain white tee shirt were wrinkled and damp with sweat. His feet were bare and his hair was wild and unkempt. It was a very different image from that of the controlled, tidy leader to whom she was accustomed.

'_You're going to be in big trouble if Logan catches you here,'_ she admonished him.

He smiled lightly, but she knew it was just a half-hearted attempt. _'Let him catch me, I don't care anymore. Not when the woman I love needs me.'_

"Oh Scott," she whispered aloud as a single tear coursed down her cheek. Whether it was from her own grief or his she wasn't sure.

In a few strides he was beside her on the bed and she molded herself to his side. He wrapped his right arm around her shoulders and his left snaked over to soothe back the tangled red hair.

He kissed her forehead and rested his cheek against her hairline. Inhaling the fading scent of gardenia and vanilla, Scott tried to calm his thoughts and center his psyche. He knew that his troubled emotions were wreaking havoc on his girlfriend's overloaded mind, but he didn't know how she had gleaned from him already.

They were silent for a moment before Jean finally squeaked out, "Scott, I know this is stupid under the circumstances, but…how did you really feel about Rogue?"

He stared quizzically at her for a moment before frowning deeply.

"What makes you ask that?"

Jean blushed violently and buried her head under his chin.

"I – I'm sorry. I know it's dumb, but – but I you were projecting and I couldn't help but notice…"

"Oh honey," he chastised lightly, "I cared for Rogue, but not like that. I had a feeling that she liked me for a while but once she realized how in love we are, she never really wanted to be around me. I guess I feel a little guilty you know? She was practically starving for attention from someone and I was the only one she was really comfortable around at first."

He heaved a great sigh and nuzzled his girlfriend's hair again.

"I just can't help but wonder if things would have been different if I had at least stayed friends with her, talked with her more. Maybe I would have realized something was wrong before Apocalypse got to her. She walked around here for days while under Mesmero's control and no one ever… What kind of a leader does that make me? I had an inkling that something was wrong with her, but I couldn't find the guts to ask? It shouldn't have happened this way."

Jean brushed her thumb across Scott's cheek and he turned to look at her.

"Scott, I know you feel guilty and there are probably dozens of 'what ifs' running through your head right now, but you're not to blame. Nothing you could have done would have changed how things worked out. You were a really good friend to her, better than most of us." The redhead hung her head and sighed again.

Scott tipped her chin up so he could read his expression and the genuine emotion there.

"Jean, you can't help the past. Rogue was a tough person to get close to, especially if she didn't want to get close."

"Oh I know, but I still could have tried harder. I never even thanked her for saving me when my powers went nuts. What kind of friend does that make ME? I mean, I'm a telepath. I knew she hurting. I knew how much she hated seeing us together because it was just another reminder to her that she would never… And I, I hated seeing her with you because I knew – I KNEW – how much she liked you. How much she idolized you. You were the only one that ever gave her a shot and made her feel welcome and I … I even took that away from her."

Jean realized a strangled sob as she was succumbed by her own guilt and grief and Scott soothed her as best as he could.

"Shh, shh honey; I know. I know how you feel. Everyone feels guilty; everyone wishes they would have tried harder, been a better friend; but, you can't force someone to talk to you or open up. Rogue had a really hard life and she didn't trust easily. I just wish she could have learned to trust us." Scott sighed and rested his head on Jean's as she cried in his arms.

Soon, they were both emotionally spent and with the love and comfort radiating from each other, they fell into a dreamless slumber.

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"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Kurt Wagner bolted upright in bed seizing his chest and gasping for air. His long blue hair was matted to his forehead and stuck to the back of his neck. His gray t-shirt clung to his sweat drenched fur and the sheets, dark with moisture in spots, were twisted around his legs, pinning him down to the bed.

The boy continued to cough and wheeze as he wrapped both arms around his ribs and heavy tears leaked down his face.

XXX

Kitty was sleeping in her own room down the hall when she heard her favorite furry friend scream.

The soul-wrenching cry caused her to phase through the bed, but she was quickly on her feet again and bolting through the walls to Kurt's room.

The scream had apparently awoken most of the house and Kitty heard many shouts of protest and alarm as she phased through each room, but did not stop.

Amara, Rahne and Jubilee shrieked in surprise as they saw Kitty's ghost burst through their bodies and into the opposite wall.

Bobby, Ray, Lance and Pietro all jumped from their beds and sleeping bags after hearing Kurt's scream, but the former three were all frozen in place as they tried to shield their eyes.

"Oh my God, Pietro! Put some damn clothes on man!" Lance shouted as Kitty came running through the wall.

She failed to notice Pietro's 'wardrobe malfunction' however, as she continued tearing through each bedroom. For once the slight girl was actually faster than Quicksilver himself and phased through the boy before he even had a chance to cover himself.

"Kitty wait! What's going on?" Lance called after his off again girlfriend, but she simply ignored the boy as she continued on.

In the next room, Piotr was throwing on a long robe as Pyro snored loudly and murmured in his sleep. As Kitty came throw the wall in front of him, Colossus jumped slightly but quickly recovered as he reached for her.

"Katjya!" he cried and grabbed for her hand. Instead of going through it though, he was able to latch on to her wrist gently as he ran forward with her. "I am coming too!"

Kitty looked back to him and nodded silently as she barreled harmlessly through the next wall and Piotr flinched slightly as his arm was swallowed up in her wake.

XXX

Kurt was still hunched over in bed as Kitty and Piotr came through the wall.

Kitty immediately released the Acolyte's hand to climb onto her friend's bed and rub his back as she coaxed him to breathe.

Immediately Jean and Scott, followed by the Professor and Hank threw open the bedroom door. Scott's hand was already positioned next to his glasses ready for an attack, but he calmed when he realized there was no imminent threat.

Hank took in the boy's pale complexion and the grimacing snarl and quickly shooed Kitty from the bed.

"Kurt, are you injured?" Hank asked as he peeled Kurt's hand away from his ribs and searched for a pulse.

Blood was pounding through Kurt's veins and although the physical pain seemed to be subsiding, it seemed the emotional pain was just becoming visible.

Kurt shook his head but left his free arm over his ribs.

"Rogue," he moaned as more tears slipped over his cheeks.

A collective sigh of release permeated the air.

"Kurt," the Professor started, "it's alright; it was just a nightmare."

"_Nein_! It was Rogue!" Kurt exclaimed, jumping from the bed. "She's in pain! Apocalypse is killing her! We have to save her!!"

"Kurt," the Professor explained quietly while taking the boy's hand, "Rogue is not in pain any longer, you know this. It was only a dream."

"No! It wasn't a dream! I could feel everything; she's so scared! Please Professor, we must find her!"

"Kurt," he tried again.

"NO! I know what I saw! I saw Rogue, I saw _mein schwester!_"

By this time all of the Mansion's occupants had gathered around Kurt's door and the Professor silently asked Ororo to escort the crowd back to their rooms.

When she had shut the door, the Professor turned back to Kurt who was quickly losing patience.

"I'm telling you it was Rogue! She's alive and she needs our help! Look in my head if you don't believe me!!" he shouted, nearly desperate now.

"Alright Kurt, I will, but you must stay calm. Perhaps you would like to explain what you saw while we move his downstairs. I'd prefer to use Cerebro for this. The current atmosphere makes concentrating rather difficult."

The group made their way down to the basement as Kurt, assisted by Kitty and Hank, told the Professor of his vision.

XXX

"I could feel her Professor; her pain, fear, hope, everything. It's almost like I was there with her, watching it all from above, but I could do nothzing to help her." Tears stung Kurt's eyes again as he recalled his sister's agony.

"I know I was not dreaming. It vas too real."

The Professor nodded as he slipped Cerebro on his head. "And what of the pain in your ribs, Kurt? Is it fading?"

"_Ja_, it is a little. But it is not my pain zat concerns me."

"Of course," Xavier replied and gestured to a nearby chair, "please, take a seat Kurt."

The boy sat obediently with his legs drawn up under him. Aside from his agitated tail and labored breathing, Nightcrawler looked very much like a watchful gargoyle.

"I'm going to use Cerebro to reflect the images on to the screen. They could be of use to us."

Magneto, who had joined them en route, nodded his agreement. "If he has truly had a vision then perhaps it can help us locate Apocalypse."

Xavier turned to Kurt and smiled kindly. "All right Kurt, just relax and focus on the dream."

Kurt's shoulders slumped slightly and his tail ceased twitching, but his brow was drawn tightly.

Xavier placed his hands on either side of Nightcrawler's head and within seconds an image of Rogue, wearing a long, sleeveless black dress appeared on the screen. The screen was etched in black and the only indicators that it was truly Rogue was her pale skin an white streaks in her hair.

Without sound, she began running through the halls, a look of terror building on her darkened face. It was difficult to see her exact expression in the dim lighting, but her wide eyes and constant glances over her shoulder were telling enough. She had an arm wrapped around her ribs much like Kurt had when waking and a few moments later she came to intersection and doubled over.

As she tried to stand again, the crowd could see her chest heaving as sweat glistened from her face and caused her hair to stick it.

An unexpected cackle reverberated through the war room and the occupants, including Magneto himself, all jumped at the unexpected sound. Much like Rogue on the screen, they all shielded their ears with their hands and watched as a pair of large purple eyes glowed and began to dominate the screen.

Jean reached for Scott as she tried to control her own fear and block out the rioting emotions through the room. Kitty gasped and turned her face into Piotr's abdomen. The Russian flinched slightly at the unexpected contact, but rested one hand on the girl's shoulder while the other brushed through her hair soothingly.

Rogue quickly came back into view, but this time she was huddled in a corner with tears in her eyes. Her knees were drawn up to her chest and she was practically shaking with terror.

Apocalypse was crouched a mere arm's length away.

He reached out to caress her face and Rogue turned her head toward the screen away from him.

To the group in the war room, it was as if she was looking straight at them and begging for help that would never come. They watched as Apocalypse's hand traveled farther and Scott had to bite back the bile that was rising in his throat.

Kitty made to look back at the screen, but Piotr bent toward her and whispered in her ear. She stilled immediately and kept her face burrowed securely in the large man's arms.

On the monitor, Rogue suddenly launched herself at Apocalypse, breaking his nose before bringing a sharp heel down on his groin.

From the back of the room, Logan growled.

"That's my girl."

Jean and Hank turned to look at the latecomer, but quickly turned their attention back to the screen as Rogue let out a piercing shriek.

She was being dragged across the stone floor, her fingernails being torn away by the rough surface.

Kitty clasped both hands over her ears after sneaking a regretful peek at the commotion on the monitor and once again turned back to the Russian Acolyte's embrace.

Logan's claws extended involuntarily as he watched Apocalypse pin Rogue's arms over her head and Jean too turned her face into Scott's shoulder as tears streamed down the girl's face.

As Magneto, Logan, Scott, Hank & Colossus watched, Rogue threw back her head and screamed silently before Apocalypse crushed his mouth over hers.

"Dear God," Xavier muttered as he pulled Cerebro from his head and placed it upon the counter.

"Well Chuck, that seemed pretty real to me," Logan bit out from the back. No one really noticed the six new claw marks running down the wall behind him.

Piotr removed his arm from Kitty's shoulder with a gentle squeeze and the girl looked up at him rather sheepishly as she wrapped her arms around her middle. She took a single step back from him, but still stayed close to his side.

"Is it possible that the girl is still alive Charles?" Eric asked as he stepped closer to Xavier.

"I just don't see how it can be Eric. I felt her very life force being extinguished. That only happens when a mutant, or human for that matter, dies a true death. When the body has expelled it's last breath and the heart beats for the last time that life energy is extinguished. In certain cases, there have been times when a person has been revived from the land of the dead, but with Rogue I would be able to sense her mutant powers being re-ignited."

Xavier was met by skeptical looks from Logan and the students.

"Before you ask Logan, in ENGLISH, it is much like the metaphor of a candle. When lit, I can hold my hand over the flame and feel the heat – in the same way I can use Cerebro to feel the "heat" from a mutant's energy, their powers. When the flame is extinguished, the heat flares for a moment before vanishing. If the flame were to be lit again, if Rogue had been brought back to life, I would feel the energy, the "heat" of her mutant powers coming alive again."

Kurt stood finally, still a little shaky from the force of the dream, and asked, "But what about the vision? You just saw it! You felt it just like I did! That can't be a dream, it was too real!"

"I agree Kurt, I doubt it was a mere dream at this point," Xavier agreed and turned back to replace Cerebro on his head. "I will continue to scan for any sign of Apocalypse, Rogue or Gambit, but in the meantime I would advise that you all guard your thoughts well. This may be a machination from Apocalypse himself. Perhaps another way to rattle us into making a rash decision."

With those final words Xavier left with Magneto to visit the Cerebro room, leaving Hank to usher the other students back upstairs.

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Oh. My. Gods.

Worst chapter ever, I know, I'm SOO sorry! My husband only got back in town Thursday night and I've written practically this whole thing (minus 1.5 of 10 pages) in a few hours. I'm going to go back and focus on Rogue and Remy again next chapter – I think I've got a few ideas of what I want to do now.

I'm going to start mapping out a few ideas on paper as that usually helps me find a direction once I get stuck. Other than that, just PRAY that my muse will find his/her voice again and yell really loud in my ear.

My muse is also fueled by really good reviews (especially a large number of them or a few in depth, lengthy ones). So the more people who review, the more likely my muse will be to find his/her voice again! So review people!

Thanks to all the last reviews too – it seems a good many people are figuring out my direction with this story. Damn! I must be too obvious…

Time for a plot twist! Just kidding. I'm not at a point in my writing career where I can do plot twists really well yet so I'm going to leave them to the professionals. Hopefully I can make up for the lack of originality by writing the scenes really, really well.

Oh well, see you next Friday!

Love and light

Wiccamage

P.S. j.d. – "A Different Kind of Christmas" will be hot on the presses once this story is over. I'm hoping before mid December.


	13. Chapter 13: Revelations

Saturday, November 24, 2007

A **BIG** THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE FOR ADDING ME TO THEIR FAVORITE AUTHOR LISTS SINCE CHAPTER 6:

angelfire1; b.a.n.h.s.f.c.x.oc.; Christinamarie712; Fairy Of Anime; FireOpal73; firewindgirl; Incendia Lupus; ladykind; Shakko; Solunita;

Prior to chap. 6:

Arian69; Lil'crazzigurl; LuckyTurtle; M.B. Wade; New Moon Night; PyroWhore; Ryan628; b.a.n.h.s.f.c.x.oc; Deadsnowhite; death06; egolust92; and le rose noir

THANKS TO THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE FOR ADDING ME TO THEIR FAVORITE STORY LISTS:

Converse-Fiend; Die Schurkin; HologramX; Incendia Lupus; Kioyuki Oniga; Shakko; firewindgirl; japanesegirl101; pinki84297; sarahmadison; xLebeaux; Bart Chamber; Fairy Of Anime; Jutwfiniei; PyroWhore; Rose Of Demise; Ryan628; Sassy18; SupermanPleaseSaveMe; everwing; ladykind; lildreamer lil2cool; musicmuse28; rogueylovesmoi; stargazer824; Crimson Angel Winges;

Prior to chap. 6:

Abaiisiia; Alan DeSeras;  Arian69;  egolust92;  etoile.noir;  Evil-Triplet-Mah;  Fayre Aiden;  firebird802;  hollywinter;  Kaika-sama;  MidniteAngelGoth;  MistressDarkness;  Ms Mab;  PyroWhore;  Rogue87;  RoguesHeart;  RomyGirl123;  rubyred517;  TayTay1;  x-kitty-x

Dear **AMY, who reviewed and left no contact info…** **Please check out my FFN forum called "Literary Discussion of Romy's and More."** I have posted a little section on there under "chapter 12 help" just for you and other fans like you who are interested in knowing what I have planned for Rogue & Apocalypse. There are many spoilers, but it will tell you what you want to know.

The forum is: **fanfiction (dot) net (/) my forums (/) Wiccamage (/) 402474 (/)**

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Rogue bit her bottom lip and listened as Gambit shuffled back to the cave. She had his duster clutched against her front with one hand and in the other were the tattered remains of the black dress.

Once she was satisfied that he wasn't watching, she lowered the coat to the ground and set about putting on the dress. She untwisted the cool, but thankfully dry garment and laid it out across her legs.

She scowled wearily as she examined the torn cloth and bit back a growl when she noticed that about six inches of fabric was missing from the bottom hem. So THAT'S what he'd been tearing. The darn sneak thief had taken off with part of her dress!

Rogue ground her teeth together as she tried to reign in her temper. There would be plenty of time to beat the Cajun to a pulp later. If she yelled at him now he'd come out of the cave and probably see her in the buff… again. The thought made her glance around nervously, as if he were lurking nearby and just waiting for her to drop her guard so he could catch another peek.

The mere recollection of how many times that man had seen her naked in the past 24 hours made Rogue's entire face turn crimson. Quickly, she slipped her hands through the dress and raised it over her head, but the rapid movement tweaked her ribs and she suppressed a gasp of pain.

Carefully this time, she pulled the tube top over her head and down to her collarbones. As the soft fabric smoothed over her skin and hid her pale flesh again, Rogue breathed a sigh of relief. Now that she had some clothes on maybe that stupid Acolyte wouldn't be able to throw her off guard all the time.

Shivering slightly in the cool morning air, she continued to gently tug the dress and frowned. The top was heavily padded to accommodate for the lack of a bra and her broken ribs made it impossible to wiggle around enough to pull it down from the top hem. She'd just have to stand up and pull from the bottom.

Taking a deep breath, Rogue exhaled slowly as she moved to her knees and, wrapping one arm around her throbbing ribs, she used her other hand to push off the ground. She managed to get to her feet, but the small effort shot flaming arrows of pain through her torso and she couldn't stop the yelp that escaped her lips.

Without a sound, Gambit was by her side instantly and steadied the teetering girl by grabbing her bare shoulders.

He had finally put some pants on, but his chest was still bare and Rogue tried not to focus on his muscular body.

The feeling of his soft, strong hands on her skin was incredible and yet in the back of her mind she knew that she shouldn't be so casual about him constantly touching her. Eventually she'd get her powers back and then…

"Y' alright _petite_?" Gambit questioned, interrupting her internal battle.

She ground her teeth together out of pain and annoyance. "Yeah, fine." She was getting really frustrated with both him and herself – him for touching and annoying her so easily and herself for letting him.

Remy noticed that her shallow, uneven breaths and stiff posture betrayed her biting words and didn't move away.

"Ya want some help wit' dat?" he asked quietly.

Rogue was momentarily taken aback by the sincerity in his tone, but managed to recover quickly.

"No, ah don't need yer help, Gambit. Ah'm perfectly fine thank you," she retorted and tried to shrug his hands from her shoulders without moving too much.

"And don't you say anything cheeky either! Ah certainly don't need any more flack from the likes a' you," she added as an afterthought. His little side remarks were really starting to get to her and she hated the way he always made her blush.

Gambit opened his mouth to deliver an equally biting retort, but quickly closed it after a moment.

"All right den _petite_, if y' don't need me, Gambit'll just be on his way den," he stated casually and removed his hands without stepping away.

Without his support, she immediately began to sway and he reached out to steady her once more.

"Dat's what Gambit thought," he smirked as she turned her head away from him and blushed.

He motioned to a large boulder beside the cave and gently tugged on her arm. "T'ink you can make it over dere t' sit?"

Rogue nodded and though she refused to meet his gaze, huffed softly.

"It's a couple of broken ribs Gambit; ah ain't an invalid ya know," she retorted, but still allowed him to guide her slowly to the designated spot.

"Come on; sit," he commanded as he moved around to her front and grasped her elbows lightly.

Rogue gnawed on her lower lip for a moment before she wrapped her small hands around his biceps and let him lower her down. She swallowed at the feel of the strong, lean muscle beneath her fingertips and marveled at the way it rippled and flexed as he extended his arms to help her sit.

Just as Gambit released her arms and moved away, the morning sun crested the tip of the ravine and bathed the two in its warm glow. Almost reluctantly, she removed her own hands and placed them timidly in her lap.

With tinted cheeks, Rogue gazed up at Gambit as he turned to the sunrise and the sheer sight of him standing there, bare-chested in the golden light made her breath catch.

A few flecks of perspiration dotted his smooth, hairless chest and made his well-toned pecs and abs gleam brilliantly. His brown hair was tousled and unruly as he brushed it back from his eyes, but the unkempt look only enhanced his rugged yet incredibly handsome image.

Rogue swallowed a second time and whetted her lips as she stared at him. He was Adonis in human flesh; desire, strength and charm personified; the very epitome of sexiness and masculinity. And good lord was he ever hot…

Gambit turned slightly to flash a knee-weakening smile at her and Rogue bowed her head, her face flaming in embarrassment at having been caught staring.

"See somethin' y' like _chere_?" he asked coyly.

"N-no, ah wasn't… ah mean, ah didn't… ahem, " she stuttered before clearing her throat and finding her voice again. Damn but that man knew how to fluster her!

"What ah mean t' say, Cajun, is that ah was only noticin' how badly you're lookin' t' need a shower," she smirked triumphantly.

"Hmm," Gambit pondered as he ran a hand over his light stubble.

Rogue's smirk warped into a small smile as she prepared to mark her win. At last, she had finally won one over Gambit and beat him at his own game!

Before she could declare victory though, Gambit turned to her and grinned lecherously. His look was still playful though and not menacing and lustful like Apocalypse's had been.

"Y' thinkin' a' me in de shower, _petite_? M' flattered, really, but it seems t' me dat YOU are d' one in need of a shower."

He cocked his head to the side as she glared at him with an open mouth. "Although," he finished, "de drowned rat look kinda suits ya. Mebbe I call you 'river rat' from now on, eh? Dat way, Gambit'll always remember how cute y' are with all dat mud and sticks in y' hair."

Rogue simply gaped at him like a fish as he turned back toward the cave to retrieve their shoes.

"Gambit just LOVES de curls by de way _chere_, dey _tres belle_." (very beautiful)

Rogue simply squeaked incoherently and clenched her fists as the color rose to her face for about the dozenth time in less than 12 hours.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The doors to the war room slid open quietly as Eric Lensherr entered. He was not wearing his typical battle garb, but a nicely pressed pair of black slacks and a simple white dress shirt. His clothes were decidedly casual, but his very manner and poise screamed intimidation and power.

He cleared his throat quietly as he waited for his colleague to acknowledge his presence.

Xavier had been hard at work nonstop since before eight and it was now nearing noon. Plus the man had worked halfway through the night as well and Eric doubted that the few hours of sleep Xavier had gotten were very restful.

As he waited, Eric tapped his fingers on a chair impatiently and gazed around the room. In the middle was a long, rectangular table used for debriefings and above the table was a digital projection screen for relaying all types of schematics. There were numerous monitors on every wall, some displaying digital computer readouts and others keeping a silent, watchful eye on every news station worldwide.

Forge had created a simple, small device that filtered through all the channels and notified him of any strange occurrences happening at any time throughout the globe. Unfortunately, the boy genius had yet to work out all the kinks, so he was in stuck in Xavier's office checking out every medical mystery, UFO sighting and tabloid report that popped up along with the legitimate news.

In front of Charles was a large, flattened screen shot of the earth. As Eric watched, the continents slowly elongated and grew in size until they had all nearly disappeared. Only a miniature version of Egypt remained and it glowed brilliant red for a moment before the image swiftly vanished and only a fading residue of light lingered on the now blackened screen.

With a sigh, Xavier carefully removed Cerebro from his head and rubbed his stiff neck.

"Did you find anything Charles?" Eric asked as he moved toward his friend.

"I'm afraid not. I've been checking every place Mesmero has been in the last few months, but I cannot find anything definitive. All I've discovered is a large beacon of energy emanating from a few key areas throughout the world."

Xavier pinched the bridge of his nose and continued. "One is in Egypt, presumably under the Sphinx where we discovered Apocalypse's ship. The second is in Tibet, a third in Mexico and a fourth in China. There is a fifth, very faint, beacon radiating from somewhere in the western United States, but I cannot pinpoint the exact location of any of these energy sources. It's as if something or someone is blocking my probes and moving the beacons as soon as I get close to them."

Finally Xavier turned to face the other man. "Apocalypse is much more powerful than I originally suspected Eric. If we do indeed find him, I'm not sure how we shall manage to defeat him."

Eric placed a reassuring hand on Xavier's shoulder.

"We will manage, Charles. We must."

Xavier nodded solemnly, but within moments the anxious and foreboding look was gone from his countenance as he gazed up at the door.

"You may come in Kurt," he called out. Magneto tried not to shudder – Xavier's gift for anticipating every word and action always had unnerved him.

Not unexpectedly, Charles smiled lightly at his friend and shrugged in silent apology while Eric rolled his eyes.

"Sorry to intrude Professor, but I vas vondering if you had found anything yet?" Kurt asked as he stepped inside the War Room.

Xavier couldn't keep the worry from his eyes as he gazed upon Kurt. The boy hadn't changed from his pajamas yet and his shoulder length hair was tangled and shiny – presumably from anxious hands running and tearing through it for the past day. Kurt hadn't even bothered to wear his image inducer and Xavier knew that the simple absence of the watch was the clearest sign of how deeply the young X-Man was hurting.

Sighing, the Professor shook his head lightly as the other students and two of Magneto's representatives joined them. Bobby, Scott, Jean, Kitty, Lance & Colossus all entered solemnly and sat around the large table. Only Jean managed to look somewhat put together. Still, the dark circles under her eyes couldn't be entirely hidden by makeup and Xavier knew that she had gotten very little sleep as well.

"I'm sorry Kurt. I cannot find a trace of Rogue anywhere."

"Zen vhat about my dream? How could zat be real if she isn't alive?" Some of his melancholy was replaced with anger and frustration and the Professor had to fight back yet another sigh.

"I don't believe it was real, Kurt," he began and held up a hand as the boy started to protest. "I believe that the vision you experienced was Apocalypse's attempt to infiltrate your mind and either gain information or to try and lure us into taking the fight directly to him. My guess is on the later."

"But Professor," Scott interjected, "why would he want us to come to him? Why not just come here and beat us on our own turf? I'd think a guy like that would enjoy humiliating his enemies."

Xavier nodded. "You're right Scott. Based on all the information Hank and I gathered from his temples, Apocalypse is just the type of man to bring the fight to the home of his enemies. However, I have a theory that, if true, may be of some use to us."

Logan, Hank and Ororo, silently summoned by the Professor, joined the crowd as Xavier began his explanation.

"I believe that Apocalypse used the vision of Rogue to try and lure us into the open – to try and make us angry enough to run blindly into a fight. I don't believe he would antagonize us unprovoked, however, unless he was anxious to beat us.

"There's a common psychology about being on one's own 'turf' and that the threat to one's home will make a person fight harder and with more conviction than an invading party. I believe that Apocalypse wants a 'home court advantage' so to speak. I believe that he is empowered by his temples and that he wants us to go to him so that he has a greater chance of defeating us in battle.

"As far as I can tell, Apocalypse intended to use Rogue as a type of battery to constantly fuel him. With her powers at his disposal, he wouldn't need to stay hidden inside his temples and would be free to roam the world causing chaos and destruction. If he had Rogue's powers, if he had utter control over her mutation and could use it at his disposal, I believe that he would have attacked us by now."

The Professor stopped to let the revelation sink in.

"So you think Rogue … you think he doesn't have her powers? But how…" Jean asked before Kitty cut her off.

"I like, already told you guys. Rogue wouldn't go down without a fight. She'd die before she'd let him use her like that."

With folded hands, Xavier nodded. "I agree Kitty. I believe that for one reason or another Apocalypse has failed at taking control of Rogue's powers. I think the more likely scenario is that Rogue anticipated his intentions and … took matters into her own hands. Either that, or something went wrong during a secondary transfer – perhaps that would explain why I was able to sense the sudden explosion of energy…"

"No!" Kurt shouted and slammed his fists on the table, "I told you she's not dead! I saw it, I FELT it!!"

"Kurt, please," the Professor beseeched him, "I know what you think you saw, but I assure you that your vision was merely a machination by Apocalypse to manipulate your mind and…"

"NEIN!" Kurt hollered, his eyes flaring yellow, "I know vhat he can do to my mind. I know zat he can make me see things zat are not real, but he cannot influence vhat I know is true in my heart!"

"Apocalypse can make you feel anything he likes Kurt and there is no way to differentiate your own feelings from those he wishes you to have."

"Vith all due respect Professor, I do not believe zat is true. Just because your computer screen tells you zat she is gone, does not mean zat it is fact. A computer knows nozing of emotion and instinct _und_ (and) love Apocalypse may have made YOU see vhat he wanted you to see. He may have made you THINK she is dead so we could walk into his trap unprepared. He may have even killed Rogue for real and vhile you were all crying and pretending to actually care about her, brought her back vhen you veren't looking just to screw vhit us!

"Apocalypse cannot make me feel zat Rogue is alive or dead anymore zan he make me stop believing in God. He can rip all knowledge from my mind, plant vhatever thoughts he wishes, but he cannot make my heart forget."

With a last desperate look around the room, Kurt took a deep, shuddering breath and teleported away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Mesmero sighed in dismay. He had just witnessed the entire exchange between the Professor and Nightcrawler and was not pleased. It would be so much simpler to just take control of the student's minds and have a direct influence over matters, but that damn Xavier had already placed severe mental inhibitors around the Mansion.

Apocalypse would be far from happy about the latest developments at the Xavier Institute. The only thing Apocalypse's under appreciated minion could be thankful for at this point was that he'd had the foresight to make Rogue place a few bugs throughout the mansion so they could keep an eye on everyone.

"Mesmero!" Apocalypse bellowed from his throne room.

Mesmero quickly scuttled inside and kneeled before the all-powerful mutant.

"Yes, your excellence?"

Apocalypse was slumped upon the gold and stone chair with a small turquoise stone in his open palm. His once young face was wrinkled and weary, as if he had aged 20 years in the last 24 hours, and although his limbs were weak, his voice and countenance were still strong and intimidating.

He slowly opened his drooping eyes to glare at his servant. "Well? Have you found the girl yet?!"

"N-no my master. I have dispatched the sentries to search out the ravine she recalled during the vision. If she is nearby, we will find her within the hour." Mesmero stammered as he deliberately turned his eyes to the floor.

He knew that Apocalypse could still destroy anyone he wished with a mere thought. The mega-mutant's powers may be weakened, but that didn't make him any less dangerous.

"And if NOT?!" Apocalypse raged. He gripped the small stone tightly in his hand, but was incredibly careful not to crush it.

"My lord, we cannot track the girl because of the ritual. It has stripped her of all her powers and made her nearly impossible to find. It will be much easier to track her companion, Gambit, but as long as the psychic shield remains in place, we cannot locate him either unless he uses his powers." Mesmero flinched as Apocalypse glared at him murderously.

"If we compromise the shield, my lord, Xavier will be able to find Gambit and the girl almost immediately and I will not be able to intercept them as I can with the shield in place. However, as long as it remains intact, Xavier will also be unable to detect them and even if he does, I can easily render him unconscious."

Apocalypse closed his eyes again as he considered their options. "What of Xavier? Is he any closer to finding them with the shields in place? How has the vision affected their quest for her?"

"Xavier's powers are limited yet. He has not fully reached his own potential and is unable to locate the girl or the Acolyte while the shield is in place. Also, he is not searching for a powerless Rogue, only her mutant signature." Mesmero replied as he remained bowed before Apocalypse.

"Then he is a fool," Apocalypse sighed, "he will not find her mutant powers no matter where he looks. The girl could be standing right in front of him and he would likely denounce her as a baseline human."

He held the small turquoise stone in front of his face and examined it carefully. It was a deep blue, but it shined so brilliantly that it practically glowed in the low lighting. Every so often a light would flicker against the smooth, flecked surface and it appeared as if another light from inside the stone were dancing or swimming softly.

"Master, there is more," Mesmero began again, his eyes still pinned to the same spot on the ground. "Xavier has unfortunately ended the search for the girl; he believes she is dead and that the vision was an attempt to draw them into battle. They sense our intentions and have created a device to block out my communications. They know we wish to use the visions against them."

Apocalypse sighed, "Then the first ritual has done what it was designed to do. It is a pity though. I had rather hoped Xavier would make contact with the girl while the shield is in place. I would much rather him find her first so we can dispatch the both of them together. In the meantime, I want you to keep a watchful eye out for the girl and LeBeau, Mesmero. We can use her connection with the vessel to manipulate her dreams and try to locate them.

"Otherwise, we will wait until Gambit uses his powers or Rogue attempts to contact the Professor directly. It will not take long before they grow weary of life in the wilderness. They are stranded with no food, water or shelter and only each other for company."

Apocalypse raised his free hand to his chin as he continued to examine the stone. "Yes, they will not last long at all."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

For having a few broken ribs, Rogue was walking at a surprisingly brisk pace. It was so quick, in fact, that she had gone at least a full mile in the last 30 minutes.

The cause of her miraculous recovery and subsequent speed walking was currently sauntering along behind her at a rather casual looking, but equally fast pace. He was quiet (for once), but Rogue knew that he was only bidding his time before he attempted to royally humiliate her all over again.

Right after his comment about her curls, Gambit had returned to her side with their shoes, his shirt and the tattered bits of her dress he had ripped apart earlier. Much to Rogue's horror, she couldn't even put on her own shoes because of her injured ribs and Gambit had more than eagerly volunteered to help.

She'd been shocked at how gently and innocently he had tied the straps around her ankles and up her calves, but of course he had made some smart-assed comment about how he'd just love to switch positions with her laces and she had all but kicked him in the mouth.

She had immediately bolted from the rock, regardless of the pain in her ribs and started heading down along the river. Thankfully he had at least waited to say anything until after she was all tied up and ready to go, otherwise she might have been walking shoeless through the forest.

Gambit had caught up with her easily enough and his quick note on how her dress didn't fit quite right really started the ball rolling.

Rogue had nearly forgotten about getting the dress pulled down any farther and after Gambit's observation, she had stalked ahead of him by a few feet and angrily pulled down the tube top.

Her intention was to quickly yank it in place and, of course, that's not how it worked out.

Rogue had pulled so hard on the dress that the top had come down past her chest and stopped right above the waistline, leaving her partially exposed and incredibly embarrassed.

Struggling with the garment for at least five minutes, Rogue had been extremely careful to stay well ahead of Gambit so he wouldn't know what had happened, but she knew it had to be pretty obvious as she continued to tug upward on the top hem of the dress without any results.

Finally, when Rogue was so frustrated she was nearly in tears, Gambit had snuck up on her silently and offered her a hand. She'd wanted to scream, throw a tantrum or smash through a hundred danger room simulations she was so aggravated with his natural ability to throw her off, make her blush and otherwise humiliate her regardless of the situation or her current state of undress. Whether she was fully clothed or completely naked, he seemed to have the same effect on her.

Rogue had quickly covered herself up and refused his help, but after another few minutes of struggling, she finally accepted his offer with great resignation.

He had stood behind her at least, giving her a little privacy, but she couldn't hide her utter mortification with the entire situation and then…

Oh, she didn't even want to THINK about what he'd done then. '_Accident my ass'_ she thought bitterly as she crossed her arms protectively over her now covered chest. She was never letting that pervert within five feet of her again. Just wait until she got home and told Logan what that sneaky, dirty, no good, rotten Cajun had done! Hoo boy would Gambit get it then!!

So it was that 20 minutes later, Rogue's face was still crimson and now her ribs were really starting to throb.

"Rogue, y' mebbe wanna take a break now? Y' look a little tired." Gambit offered politely from somewhere behind her.

"No, ah don't wanna take a break and, you know what, don't even talk to me anymore, okay? If you could just shut yer mouth and not say another damn word t' me it would make this whole crappy experience a little more bearable."

Gambit sighed. He hadn't meant to make her so angry. Yeah, he shouldn't have tried to cop a feel, even as a joke, when she'd needed his help, but he just couldn't contain himself sometimes. He had been so good all day, even with her lying naked beside him last night, and he had only wanted her to loosen up and relax a bit.

Most women would have melted in his hands hours ago, but not this one. This girl was definitely something else.

She'd gasped and then stayed perfectly still for about 10 seconds after he'd removed his hands and just as Gambit thought she was going to simply ignore it, she'd turned around and slugged him in the eye.

Not even slapped, but slugged. He'd been slapped by women before, a little painful sure, but still somewhat amusing. He'd also been punched by other men before, but this was much worse. Even the sucker punch he'd received from her earlier was nothing compared to the wallop he'd received just 20 minutes ago.

After recovering from the incredible pain the slight girl had delivered, Gambit had taken the extra bits of cloth from her dress and, soaking them in the river, had gingerly applied it to his swollen eye without complaint.

Yeah, he'd deserved it.

He'd immediately resigned himself to backing off and giving her as much space as possible; in fact he didn't even plan on speaking to her for the next few hours, but she was moving much too quickly for her broken ribs and Gambit knew it was only a matter of time before the pain became nearly unbearable.

What he didn't bank on was that she would continue pushing past her natural limits just to maintain her distance from him.

"Rogue, I really think we should stop to rest for a minute, eh?" he offered again.

She ignored him and continued walking even though her pace had slowed significantly.

Gambit stayed close behind her as they traipsed through the forest for another 10 minutes and he had to bite his lip when she tripped over a small rock and nearly fell. She righted herself quickly, but couldn't hide her small moan of pain as she wrapped her arms around her ribs.

Eventually she'd wear herself out and stop before the pain got too bad, right?

Five minutes later he got his answer.

With both arms wrapped around her enflamed ribs, Rogue tried not to stumble as she continued onward. When she moved to climb down a small, rock-encased ledge, however, the burning, throbbing sensation finally got the better of her.

The ledge wasn't steep or long, and it wouldn't have even been that difficult to climb down had she not been in utter agony, but as it was, the small amount of bending, twisting and maneuvering it required was too much for her to handle. There was a small, narrow path of dirt that wound down through a couple of giant boulders and ended at a steeper, tree-lined incline that eventually emptied out into the valley.

Rogue had just twisted her way around the first rock when she suddenly gasped and started to sway. She reached out to steady herself against the boulder, but the now excruciating pressure on her ribs was too much for her to bear and she started to black out.

Gambit reached her just as she started to fall and caught by the arm with one hand while his other steadied her hips.

"Rogue!" he cried, "Rogue, are y' alright?"

She simply moaned as her eyes rolled back in her head and she slumped against him.

Gambit scooped her up under the knees and shoulders and with amazing speed and agility, maneuvered through the boulders and placed her down inside a small crevice that was surrounded by rocks on all three sides and shaded by the trees above.

As Gambit laid her gently in the dirt, he took note of her shallow, wheezing breaths and kicked himself for not making her stop earlier. Pulling the strips of black fabric away from his own eye and retrieving still more from his pocket, Gambit raced back up the hill to the river and soaked them all in the freezing water.

He was back at her side in a minute and placed each strip over her injured ribs to try and soothe the inflammation. As he placed another strip over her forehead, Rogue's eyes fluttered open and she moaned softly.

"Guess ah shoulda stopped after all," she murmured through another grimace.

"Don' blame y'rself Rogue, Gambit shouldn't have … done dat. M' sorry. Didn't mean to make y' mad," he explained quietly.

"What was ah supposed t' do, laugh?" she demanded incredulously.

"Well, no, but I was hopin' f'r a smile at least."

Gambit hung his head. He felt like the nine-year-old boy who had been lectured about how to treat a lady by his _Tante_.

"A smile?" Rogue asked, her voice rising, "you thought doing THAT would get a smile from me?!" She propped herself up on her elbows to glare at him, but immediately gasped in pain.

Gambit grinned sheepishly as he helped her lie back down. "I know, I know. Pullin' _une fille's_ (a girl) hair ain't gonna make her like y' none. I just…"

Why was he so darn flustered about this? It was a quick brush of his fingers, it wasn't like he'd meant to… okay, so he HAD meant to do it, but still. The explanation shouldn't be this difficult.

"I just…" he tried again and sighed. "I been tryin' t' get y' t' smile all day and all I do is make y' mad at me."

ARGH! This man was just so darned frustrating! One minute he acted like a complete jerk and the next he was absolutely charming. He'd embarrassed and humiliated her, then been so sweet and caring it had nearly drove her mad and now he was saying it was all just to get her to smile!!!

"Ugh!" Rogue made to scream at him, but her increased heart rate made breathing harder and more painful and the pressure on her chest was overpowering.

"Rogue?" Gambit questioned, concern marring his red eyes. Her face was scrunched up and sweat beaded across her cheeks and brow. The black strip of cloth across her forehead contrasted sharply with the paleness of her skin and the pink tint of her cheeks, but her green eyes were alight with pain and emotion.

"Can't … breathe," she panted finally.

Her hands were clenched at her sides as her fingers clawed at the dirt. Her entire body was tense with the tumultuous sensations coursing through her torso and Rogue was certain that either her heart was going to explode in her chest or her ribs were going to collapse her lungs.

"Okay _chere_. I want you t' try and relax _d'accord_? (okay)" Gambit coaxed her gently and kneeled directly above her head. He lightly touched her elbows, but she immediately flinched away from him and moaned as the movement jostled her ribs.

"Calm down Rogue, I ain't gonna hurt ya. Gimme y'r arms, I'm gonna lift 'em above y'r head; it'll take some of the pressure off y'r ribs an' make it easier t' breathe."

With a skeptical look Rogue gingerly complied and he helped her slowly lift her arms to rest on either side of his legs.

"Dat should help _un peu_ (a little), but y' need to relax and focus on breathin'."

"It HURTS ta breathe," she managed.

"Shush, don't speak or it'll be worse. Jus' close y'r eyes and take slow, short breaths."

Rogue closed her eyes and tried to follow his instructions, but couldn't help a small whimper when she tried to suck in too much air at once.

"You try t' breathe too deep and it'll hurt more. Dat's it, jus' breathe easy. Nice and slow. In through y'r nose & out through y'r mouth. _Bien _(good). Focus on tryin' t' relax y'r body Rogue. 'S just like meditation," he coached gently.

"Good girl, keep breathin' like dat and focus on my voice, _d'accord_? Start down at y'r toes and feel de muscles in y'r feet contract…" he paused to watch her toes curl up in the sandals, "and release."

As Remy continued he softly brushed the hair from her face and began to massage her temples, face and scalp. Before long she was breathing soft and evenly, all evidence of the pain in her ribs replaced with a look of near serenity.

Remy smiled to himself. This girl sure was a puzzle. One minute she didn't want him near her and in the next she was falling asleep under his gentle ministrations. She burned cold one minute and hot the next – further proof that she really didn't know what she wanted. Her mind and body were at war with each other on a constant basis and Remy doubted that even she knew where her heart weighed in.

Knowing Rogue, her heart probably didn't even qualify.

Mid contemplation, Remy was startled from his reverie by a loud thumping noise that reverberated through the trees and echoed loudly in the small, recessed rock.

Rogue sighed softly in her sleep and began to mumble something incoherent when Remy clamped his hand over her mouth. Immediately her eyes flew open to stare at him, but he pressed a finger to his lips and pointed skyward. Sure enough, another thump resounded through the forest and Rogue tried to sit up to move farther in. Thankfully Remy still had his hand pressed firmly to her mouth because she yelped when she tried to move and he was able to stifle the sound.

Remy held his hand out in a silent "stop" and Rogue quit moving. She was beginning to hyperventilate from the fear of being discovered and only his hand on her bare shoulder reminded her to stay calm and breathe.

They were both frozen for a moment, unsure if the trees and rocks would sufficiently block them from the robot henchmen or not. They could hear one clomping around the forest nearby, but they had no indication of its exact location and didn't even know how many there were. Judging from the amount of noise there could very well be two or more out there.

As the footsteps got closer to their hiding spot, Gambit pulled his deck of cards from his jacket pocket and had to force himself not to shuffle them nervously. He and Rogue were both still as death with Rogue lying on her back, staring up at the tree covered sky, and Gambit still on his knees by her head, only his eyes darting around to track the movement.

When it sounded like one of the robots was nearly on top of them, Gambit quickly and silently placed his hand over Rogue's mouth. She stared at him quizzically until he wrapped his free arm under her left shoulder and around her chest to quietly drag her up next to him.

Rogue had to bite her lip and swallow the scream that threatened to erupt from her throat as Gambit pulled her alongside him, but she quickly focused on getting the shooting pain back under control.

'_Breathe in and out, slow and short; try to relax your body; focus on de sound of m' voice,_' she recalled his words and willed herself not to think of the pain. She looked to Gambit, but he was deftly scanning the trees and sky for any sign of the stone guards.

She watched him, fascinated by his resolve and his ability to never waiver from the task at hand. He was all business as he waited for the potential attack and yet Rogue could sense that he was as tense as she was.

An epiphany struck Rogue in that moment. Gambit – Remy – was risking his very life to keep her safe and away from Apocalypse. He could have just killed her or let her drown, but he hadn't. For some reason, Gambit had pulled her from the clutches of death itself and was now trying his best to keep her alive and well.

Rogue nearly forgot the imminent threat of the robot henchmen as she studied the Acolyte. He didn't have to do this. He wasn't being forced to play protector to her. Nor was there any reason why he would simply want to make her smile.

Was there?

Did he have some ulterior motive that she didn't know about other than making sure Apocalypse didn't get her? Perhaps he was just playing nice so he could … ugh. No, that didn't make any sense because he'd had plenty of chances to make a move earlier. If he'd wanted THAT he could have taken it by now.

So what was it? Why was the Acolyte risking life and limb to protect her? Rogue knew that technically SHE'D be "safe" even if they were caught. Apocalypse wanted to use her as his queen or weapon or whatever and would need her alive. But Gambit…

Rogue's breath caught in her throat. Apocalypse would probably kill Gambit without batting an eyelash. The thought made her throat swell and her chest ache with a completely different kind of pain.

He was trying so hard to help her, to be nice to her, had even gone as far as to openly and unabashedly flirt with her and all she'd done was be a jerk to him.

Rogue bit her lip and resolved herself to be at least a LITTLE nicer to Gambit… er, Remy. After all he HAD saved her life more than once now.

As Rogue sat assessing Remy, he suddenly shifted nervously and his entire body coiled in anticipation. He was staring straight up through the trees and his eyes were locked on something above them.

Rogue's breathing turned harsh and erratic as she slowly lifted her gaze.

She stopped breathing entirely when she saw two outlines of Apocalypse's stone guards standing on the rocks, not even 20 feet directly above them.

Thankfully the trees were low and dense and at the moment, it appeared that they didn't see the pair hunkered low and still under the branches.

Rogue tried desperately not to panic as Gambit maneuvered his cards into striking position and for a moment she wondered if the robots could hear her heart thudding in her chest like a drum.

She was certain Gambit could.

As Gambit waited anxiously for the stone monsters to either leave or discover them, he tried to recall a time in his life when he had ever been so on edge before. If the threat of eminent death weren't so terrifying, this would be almost fun.

He felt the terror rolling off Rogue in waves when she finally looked up to see the two guards standing directly above them. He was certain the girl was approaching a panic attack, but wasn't certain how long it would be before she flipped out completely and gave away their position. As it was, her breathing was so loud and labored he thought for sure the guards would have discovered them by now.

Maybe they would just leave. Maybe they would give up and leave and would never look down at all.

Just then, the stone guard with a hawk's face looked straight at him and cocked its head.

Or maybe not…

Gambit heard Rogue stifle a squeak of fear and surprise. It sounded ridiculously similar to a mouse and, if it weren't for the fact he was about to fight off two incredibly large robots, he might have actually laughed at her.

Still, she kept her ground, unmoving, and he had to give her credit for at least keeping her head.

The hawk robot (a representation of Horus) began to move the various pine and fir tree branches aside as it tried to get a better look at whatever was hiding in the rock's crevice.

"HAVE YOU FOUND THAT GIRL YET!!!?!?!?!?" Mesmero suddenly shouted from a radio transmitter inside the robot and it caused both the metal guards and the two mutants below to jump simultaneously.

The hawk guard spoke for the first time and it sounded nearly identical to Microsoft's first prototype of the talking computer.

"Neg-a-tive. Have…not…lo-ca-ted. Will…con-tin-ue…search," it stated aloud.

"You will do nothing of the sort. Get back to the temple immediately. We will infiltrate her dreams again tonight and you will continue the search tomorrow once we have a new location. They might be anywhere by now and there are other matters that need attending to. We must prepare for the second ritual."

Mesmero quickly cut out and the guards turned to head back to the temple without so much as a glance back at the crevice.

After a good two minutes, Rogue exhaled all of the air she'd been saving up in one giant sigh. Gambit, too, heaved wearily as he fell back against the rock wall.

"Dat… was way too close," he stated as he shoved the cards back in his pocket and closed his eyes.

"Yeah. Definitely," Rogue agreed as she plopped down on the earthen floor. Her ribs still ached slightly, but it was nothing compared to the bone-numbing terror they'd just experienced.

"What was that stuff about infiltrating y'r dreams, t'ough. Y' think they found us 'cause a dat vision you had?"

Rogue swallowed hard. "Ah wouldn't doubt it. Ah could tell Apocalypse was messin' around in mah head 'cause he was talkin' about stuff no one but me would know about."

"Like what?" Gambit asked, curious as to what secret thoughts Apocalypse had seen.

"Uh, nothin' important. Just thoughts and stuff," she waved it off quickly before changing the subject. "What about that 'second ritual' Mesmero mentioned. D'ya think there's more to it than Apocalypse wantin' to make me his slave?"

"Um, yeah. Dere's a lot more to it actually," he started, then got up quickly and offered Rogue his hand. "Gambit'll tell you 'bout it on de way, but we should get outta here b'fore dey come back or somethin'."

Rogue frowned, but nodded regardless and allowed Remy to help her down the hill.

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"Kurt, come on, it's been, like, HOURS now! You gotta come outta there soon or I'm calling Logan," Kitty berated her friend with a huff.

The boy had been running the same danger room simulation over and over again with the same results. Apocalypse won and Rogue was captured.

"Kurt this is NOT healthy! Stop it right now!!" she shouted over the microphone in the control room, but he simply ignored her.

"Cyclops!" he yelled to the computer-generated character, "use your optic blast now! Magma, Boom Boom, go!"

Nightcrawler had even added the younger students to the simulation in the hopes that with more people, they might have been able to save his sister. Or, at the very least, might still be able to save her.

"Kitty, just let him be. He's not hurting anything by it. He just needs to blow off some steam," Lance sighed. He had followed her after the debriefing with the Professor and they had subsequently discovered the furry blue X-Man playing the ultimate game of "what if."

"Lance, how can you say that? He's beating himself up over what happened to Rogue. He refuses to believe she's dead and I'm really worried about him," she paused for a moment as tears stung her eyes and she gazed down at her friend.

"His mom betrayed them, his sister's dead. He, like, doesn't have anybody left but us and everyone else is too busy with their own pain to notice his."

Kitty sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes with her free hand. Her other arm was still bandaged and now supported by a sling while the severe burns healed. She almost hoped they'd leave scars. That way she'd always have a physical reminder of what they'd lost.

"Hey Kitten, don't cry," Lance admonished her gently and pulled her into his arms. "It's gonna be okay, you'll see. Rogue… she's at peace now, you know? She wouldn't want you to be sad for her."

"I'm not sad for Rogue, Lance," she sighed, exasperated, as she pulled from his arms, "I'm sad for KURT! He's the one in pain right now and I know that Rogue wouldn't want me crying over her when he's so miserable."

"Oh," Lance replied quietly and hung his head, "I see."

"You see what?" she asked, utterly confused at his sudden change of mood.

"You uh, you like Kurt."

"Well yeah, like, duh I like Kurt – he's my best friend," she retorted and smacked herself on the forehead. "And, he's NOTHING more than that Lance, I swear. I don't LIKE like Kurt. He's just, well, he's Kurt. I guess I kinda think of him as my brother too."

Lance brightened immediately.

"Really?"

"Yes, 'really' you silly! You know you're, like, the only one for me," she teased with a playful smile.

Lance grinned, but it faltered some after a minute.

"Then what about that Acolyte guy? Is he like 'your brother' too?" the grin quickly turned to a small scowl.

"What are you talking about Lance?"

"This morning you totally blew me off, but you grabbed him and brought him to Kurt's room. I didn't even get to go downstairs with you to see what happened. From what I overheard from Jean and Scott, that nightmare was pretty bad too. I should have been with you to see that. You know you can't handle scary stuff like that on your own." Lance huffed and folded his hands over his chest like a petulant child and Kitty had to keep from rolling her eyes.

Boys…

"Look, Lance," she started, "I'm, like, totally sorry I forgot you, okay? It's just, Pete called me Katjya, and it's just a silly little nickname, but I don't know, it caught my attention and I unphased long enough that he managed to grab on." Kitty squirmed a little under Lance's reproachful gaze.

There was no way he'd know that she'd also hid in the other man's arms during practically the entire replay of Kurt's vision.

Lance didn't seem to be all that convinced of her excuse, however, so she continued.

"He's just, like, really, really big, you know, and I'm not sure if you realized this, but he's a little hard not to notice. It was just…good timing I guess. It's not like I MEANT to ignore you, ya know."

Kitty folded her arms over her chest and pouted. It was true. She hadn't intended to ignore him, but she had been so focused on Kurt's screams…

So what was it about Piotr that made her stop? She recalled the way he had said her name, almost urgently, pleadingly, and the way his arms had felt around her downstairs.

Warm and safe and constant.

It wasn't like Lance, who could run hot and cold with the flip of a switch. Pete had held her close without demanding, without complaining, or really doing anything but what she wanted. When she'd tried to look back at the screen, he'd whispered gently in her ear.

'_It is your choice, Katjya, but I would not watch now.'_

He'd given her a CHOICE. Instead of "_Don't look Kitty_," or "_it's not safe for you Kitten,"_ he had trusted her to make her own decision with a simple recommendation thrown in. He'd treated her like … like an adult instead of a weak little girl that needed protecting.

Piotr was sweet and shy and made her feel like an equal, not like she constantly needed supervision. He was the type of man that would let her bury her face in his arms during a scary movie, not grab her to see how far she'd jump – unlike someone else she knew.

Kitty sighed again, but smiled as she noted the sad, apologetic look on Lance's face. God that boy was cute. A little dense sometimes, but still so cute.

"Lance, you really don't have anything to be jealous about you know. Pete's just, I don't know a friend, maybe. Probably more like an acquaintance. It's not like I'd ever date an Acolyte or anything."

Lance raised an eyebrow. "You dated me, I'm almost the same thing as an Acolyte."

Kitty groaned and rolled her shoulders as she tried to ease the tension out of them. "Lance, you're different and you know it. I knew you before you became a member of the Brotherhood, and it's not like you REALLY enjoy doing all that stuff…" she smiled sweetly at him and ran her good hand along his arm.

"You're a good person, you know?" she reassured him before planting a kiss on his cheek.

He smiled back at her and kissed the top of her head.

"Thanks for believing in me Kitty, I don't know what I'd do without you."

Kitty beamed up at him before fitting herself under his arm and wrapping her free one around his waist.

"I know. Now, let's go find Logan before Kurt kills himself."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Oh my gosh. So that ALMOST completes day one for our heroes.

I'm so sorry I took so long (two weeks! Agh!) for this update, but I worked my butt off all day Friday and Saturday so I could get this to you finally. Thankfully, my husband was on pager and had his internet card this week or it wouldn't have been until Monday.

Please review and leave me any comments. My husband (beautiful, wonderful man that he is) helped me work through one of my biggest challenges with this story and it also adds a little extra twist to it at the end/middle/whenever you figure it out. I'll just say that one of the chapters I've already posted is slightly deceiving and it works to my advantage. If you pay close enough attention to the detail during the Apocalypse/Mesmero scene you should technically figure out what it is. Maybe it's too vague. I don't know. Tell me what you think. Like I said, I suck at plot twists, so yeah.

A HUGE, HUGE thank you to Sassy, who helped me work through this and the next few chapters on my FFN forum so that you all could have this beautiful update.

It's 22 pages, so you better be bloody thankful. I'll have to write four pages a day to get this large of an update again! I really hope you're all happy!

Anyhow, I'm signing out. 14 hours at a computer is not boding well for my bottom.

Love and light,

Wiccamage


	14. Chapter 14: Little Moments

I know, I know, it's been what, 2 months now? I'm truly sorry, but I've been dealing with a really nasty bout of depression since before November and it finally hit me hard right after Thanksgiving. I nearly lost my job because of it, but now I am back and working on my story once more. Cross your fingers for me and hope that nothing else hinders this thing. I anticipate MAYBE 10 more chapters depending on the size of my updates and I'm hoping to get a giant one out before the end of the month to make up for all that lost time.

In the meanwhile, I know it's short, it's probably not good, and it's not been edited 18 times like usual, but it's here.

Hope you enjoy it and PLEASE leave me some feedback!

Love & Light,  
Wiccamage

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So… what now?" Rogue asked timidly as she leaned heavily against the trunk of a large Douglas fir.

They had waited for about an hour after the mechanical guards had left the area to start moving again, but Remy insisted that they move slowly at first and rest every half hour or so to allow her ribs to recover.

Rogue was wearing Remy's coat again, this time **over** her dress, and she had to admit that the extra layer of clothing made her feel much more secure. Remy had also insisted on tying the dress scraps around her ribs for a little extra support and the wet makeshift bandages were helping quite a bit. The cold helped soothe the burning pain and the pressure kept her breathing low and steady, insuring that she wouldn't intake too much air and make her lungs expand beyond their current capacity.

Rogue snapped back to attention when Remy motioned for her to sit on a small rock by the river and with a roll of her eyes, she hesitantly complied.

Moving behind her and untying the bandages, Remy sighed. He'd had a while to think on their situation and their next move, but with Apocalypse possibly lurking around every corner, it was going to be difficult.

"Well, first of all, we keep moving," he said finally as he unwrapped the black fabric from Rogue's waist and turned to dip the scraps in the river once again. "Den, we rest, den we keep moving."

Rogue huffed and rolled her eyes again, "Gee, what a great idea. Why on earth didn't ah think a that?"

"Cause Gambit be d' brains behind dis operation, dat's why," he declared with a knowing smirk as he kneeled in front of her and began rewrapping her ribs.

Rogue gasped sharply as the cold absorbed through her dress and chilled her barely warmed skin.

"Y' all right_chere_?" Remy asked. His hands stilled on either side of her waist and the warmth of his palms instantly contrasted with the freezing cloth.

He stared up at her with slightly furrowed brows and a trace of a frown on his face. His eyes shone with genuine concern for her and the tenderness of his gaze made Rogue swallow hard.

She forced a small, nervous smile and nodded.

"It's cold's all," she replied quietly and continued to stare into his eyes.

"Bad cold or good cold?" he asked, a teasing smile unfolding on one side of his mouth.

"Good," Rogue whispered, lost in his entrancing eyes, "definitely good."

They were frozen that way for a minute more before Rogue noticed that Remy's fingers were lightly caressing her sides.

Dazed, she let him continue his ministrations for a moment before they traveled down to the curve of her hips and she jerked from his grasp suddenly.

"Oh!" she cried out as the movement jostled her ribs painfully and her arms reflexively covered both her ribs and her sides.

Remy backed away instantly and tried not to reach out for her. "_Dieu_, m' sorry _chere_, Remy didn't mean t' hurt ya."

"Ya didn't, ah mean, ya sorta did, but not really," she stammered nervously as she blushed slightly.

Remy raised an eyebrow at her.

"Ah mean, ya didn't hurt me, it was just when ah jerked away it…" she trailed off as a wicked smile plastered itself across Remy's face.

"When ya …jerked away, eh? Are you… are you **ticklish** _chere?_"

"NO!" she exclaimed as her hands tightened slightly around her sides.

She was not ticklish! Absolutely not! There was no way that she, tough, mean, pseudo-gothic, kick-your-butt-in-a-heartbeat Rogue, was ticklish. She simply couldn't be that girly.

Remy's smile faded slightly, but his eyes still danced with mischief.

"_D'accord_ (okay), whatever y' say Rogue," he said casually and moved to start on the bandages once again.

As his fingers trailed along her ribs slowly and deliberately, however, Rogue skirted away from him once again.

"Don't you dare!" she cried as she swatted at his hands.

"_Quoi?! _(what)"

Remy withdrew from her slightly and raised his hands in the air. His face was the picture of innocence and even the look in his eyes was perfectly matched.

"Remy didn't do anything _chere_, don't know what y'r fussin' about."

"You know darn well what's what, you Swamp Rat!" she huffed and tried to move farther away from him.

"Now Rogue, Remy t'ought we went through dis already. Pet names are strictly reserved f'r **after **d' first date and y' haven't even let me take ya t' dinner yet."

She gaped at him for a moment and growled.

"Like ah'd ever let you! Cajun isn't exactly mah type, **sugah**!

"Sugar huh?" he grinned, "Well, _**mon coeur**_(my heart) I t'ink mebbe you don't even know what y'r type is. How many dates you had, eh?"

"Ah KNOW what mah type is thank you very much. And ah don't need t' date you ta know ya ain't it,** HUN**!" she countered.

"Touche, _**amour**_, (love) but y' still didn't answer my question. I didn't ask if**I **was y'r type, just wanna know what y' t'ink yer type is."

He slowly raised himself up to her eye level and his expression turned serious as he placed his hands on her knees and leaned in until their noses were nearly touching.

"How many dates you had, eh _chere_? How you supposed t' know what y'r type really is if y' ain't never had one?"

Rogue's eyes flashed from shock to anger to sadness and back to anger rapidly before she finally lurched forward and pushed him roughly to the ground before continuing down the riverbank.

"That is NONE of yer business **Gambit**!" she yelled back as she crossed her arms over her chest.

It only took a moment for him to recover and with the wet bandages still in hand, he easily caught up to her.

"Oh come on, _**mignon**_(sweetie) I didn't mean t' make y' mad again. Just curious is all. T'ought maybe you'd be into de tall, dark an' ruggedly handsome men like _moi_ (me)."

He fell into step beside her and smiled apologetically.

She didn't return the gesture.

Sighing, Gambit shoved his hands in his pockets and walked quietly beside Rogue, who refused to even glance at him.

He watched as she worked her jaw methodically, her mouth set in a firm line while she stalked along the shore.

"Y' know, I'd take you out in a heartbeat," he whispered quietly and Rogue's head whipped around to stare at him incredulously. "Dat is, if we weren't supposed t' be enemies an' all."

Rogue rolled her eyes and scoffed loudly, but turned away again.

"Whatdya say, _petite_, would you go out wit' me sometime? _Peut-etre? _(maybe?)" Gambit tried to keep his expression playful and nonchalant, but for some reason he couldn't quite comprehend, his pulse was practically racing.

Must have been the quick sprint, need to work out more…

Rogue snorted, but said nothing.

"Gambit'll take dat as a yes," he declared and pulled his cards from his pocket, fiddling with them.

"Ah sincerely doubt it," she finally said, jaw still firmly set but with a slightly less aggravated look in her eyes.

"Oh come on Rogue, are you sayin' dis sexy Cajun does nothin' for ya?"

Remy brought his arm up to show off the flexing muscle beneath the skin-tight uniform and Rogue focused on the endless sea of trees instead.

"Not a thing," she replied with such a straight face that she actually surprised herself.

"Humph," Remy grumped and folded his arms over his chest in a perfect imitation of a petulant child.

20 minutes later

"Come on Rogue, I said I was sorry. Y' can't STILL be angry over dat," Remy groaned as they continued walking – albeit slowly – along the riverbank. He had tried, unsuccessfully, at getting her to talk to him, or at least smile a little, but when that didn't work he finally resorted to pouting.

"I already told you I didn't mean to make y' mad."

"Oh really," she rounded without taking her eyes from the path ahead, "cause ya sure do it well!"

She afforded herself a quick, scornful glance in his direction, but, upon seeing the playful, boyish, yet still pitiful and apologetic smile, she quickly snapped her attention away again.

With an aggravated sigh, Remy fell back a step as he watched her storm onward. He walked on in silence for a while longer before sighing once again and grabbing Rogue's elbow, forcing her to stop and turn to him.

"Listen Rogue, we gotta stop doin' dis. If we're gonna get through dis, den we're gonna have t' work together, _d'accord_? (okay)"

Glaring, she raised a perfectly practiced eyebrow at him as her hip jutted out defiantly. Her arms twitched at her ribs as she moved to put one on her hip, but she apparently thought better of it, deciding to brace her ribs instead.

"I'm serious,_petite_. We could be out here for a long time. We can't contact anyone telepathically or Mesmero'll catch us. We can't build a fire or the guards'll spot us. I can't use m' powers or Apocalypse will find us.

Face it Rogue, we're up de creek here with nothin' but a pocket knife, a bo staff an' my coat. We might be out here for weeks, and once de new moon comes and goes, Apocalypse ain't gonna be lookin' to keep you as his pet no more. He'll kill us both an we prob'ly won't be lucky enough for it to be quick."

Rogue swallowed hard and paled slightly. Her shoulders slumped slightly as she cast her eyes to the ground, thinking hard. Remy watched as she bit her lip and her brow furrowed.

Suddenly, she looked back at him, full of questions.

"What's the new moon got t' do with it? Why doesn't he want me after that?"

Her eyes narrowed in a flash. Her body became rigid and, subconsciously, she stepped away from Gambit.

"How much do ya'll really know about this ritual? What aren't you tellin' me, Gambit?" She bit out his code name as if it left a bitter taste in her mouth and he cringed.

Her lips turned up in a small snarl as she watched him guardedly, her deep green eyes screaming accusations and distrust even after all they'd been through together in the last day.

Gambit held up his hands in mock surrender. It was a half hearted attempt at a joke, but mostly he didn't want her to bolt suddenly, or worse, slug him again.

"I only know what I overheard before I rescued you. It don't all make a lot a sense t' me, but I think I get the main idea."

"And what's that?" This time Rogue did move her hands to rest on her still cocked hips and she tapped her foot impatiently as she awaited his answer.

Resisting the urge to flinch when she moved her arms, Gambit suppressed a groan as he opted for a labored sigh instead. She was NOT going to like what he had to say.

And, she would probably express that dislike by taking it out on him.

Lowering his hands slowly, he looked her in the eye and tried to appear as reassuring and honest as possible.

"I PROMISE I'll tell you everythin' on de way, but right now we need to worry 'bout dose eyes a yours."

Her hands dropped from her hips in alarm and she took another step back. The hardened glare was swept from her face as her eyebrows shot upward.

"What about mah eyes?" She couldn't stop the 'deer in the headlights' expression from her face and the rollercoaster of emotion she was displaying almost made him want to laugh.

"Well," he replied, pulling yet another scrap of dress from his pocket, "since Apocalypse can apparently see through 'em when you sleep, we gotta make sure he don't know where we're goin'." He stepped toward her with the one end of the fabric draped over each open palm.

"And t' do dat, you," he punctuated by taking another step forward, "gotta keep 'em closed."

This time Rogue very nearly did run. He watched her legs twitch as her body became tense once again and she took a large step back as he took another forward.

"Don't you dare!" she cried, backing up slowly while keeping her bare hands out in front of her. She was falling back on her skin as a weapon. It obviously hadn't completely sunk in that she was powerless yet.

Well, she'd learn soon enough.

"Rogue, ya gotta trust me on dis. As long as you know where we're goin' so does he. An' if he can see where we are and where we're goin' den we might as well just raise de white flag now an' wait for him t' come get us."

Rogue pursed her lips together and cast her eyes to the ground. Maybe if she just didn't look up…?

"You know that tryin' to keep your eyes on de ground ain't gonna help either, right? Sooner or later, you're gonna look at de river or hear a noise or somethin' and den it'll all go t' pot."

She stared up at Gambit incredulously, wondering if the Professor had failed to mention that the card wielding mutant also had telepathic abilities.

"You know I'm right, Rogue. We gotta do dis."

The ex-mutant Goth watched Remy warily for a moment. She did NOT like the idea of being blindfolded around this man, let alone relying on him to be her eyes.

"How do you propose I walk around this forest without bein' able t' see Gam…" she took a quick calming breath as she forced herself to use his first name, "Remy."

At least he was being nice and not trying to goad her into a fight.

For the time being anyhow…

Rogue was quickly losing her patience, though. She was rather nervous about the idea of letting Gambit to guide her through the forest at all – let alone blindfolded – even if she did know how essential it was to their survival (not that she'd tell him that).

She was pulled from her thoughts, however, when he took another step forward and managed to trap her between himself and another fir tree.

Rogue barely suppressed a gasp as the Cajun Acolyte closed the small gap and very nearly pressed his body against hers.

There were only a few mere inches between them, but Gambit could still feel the heat radiating off of Rogue as she stared up at him, a mixture of anxiety, wariness, and that darn nagging something else shining brightly in her green eyes. She had stopped herself from gasping, barely, but couldn't help the way her mouth curved into a perfect "o" of surprise at his closeness.

He held the makeshift blindfold up and with his other hand he took hers. She flinched slightly at the abrupt contact, years of conditioning and fear of her skin overriding the new freedom of touch. Looking down at her open palm, he carefully placed the strip of cloth over her fingers and with a last piercing look into those soulful green eyes, he stepped back once again.

"I ain't gonna make you do nothin' you don't want, Rogue. But I think you know as well as I do that it's our only good option. You could try to play the Freddy Krueger game and stay awake, but that's only gonna last so long, and chances are you'll be droppin' off to sleep in seconds soon as we stop for a break. A body takes damage like yours did and it uses every chance it gets to rest and heal. Much as you don't like de idea of Apocalypse invading your dreams again, your body's gonna sleep whether your head wants to or not."

Rogue stared down at the cloth in her hand and scowled foully at it.

Darn him, but he was right.

She huffed, but pursed her lips in thought. "How am ah gonna navigate around all the boulders and trees and everything if ah can't see? It'll take us forever if ah have to creep along t' keep from fallin' on mah face!"

She crossed her arms over her chest again and leaned back against the tree, defeated.

"Don't worry _chere_, y' won't be walkin' at all," he stated as he tilted his head to the side and gave her another mischievous smile. "I'll be carryin' ya."

"Ha!" she half laughed, half snorted at his easy answer, but she noted the new seriousness in his expression and realized that he wasn't teasing this time.

"You – you can't CARRY me!"

"Why not, already did it a handful of times in the last two days, what with you playin' the damsel in distress and all."

That danged smile was back again and it was starting to make her blood boil.

"Those were special circumstances and you know it!" she rounded on him with her finger pointed at his chest, taking a meaningful step forward even though he refused to back down.

"An' so's dis. Me carryin' you now is just as necessary as it was all dose other times. More so, in fact." His easy tone and 'just prove me wrong' expression said more than words ever could.

Despite the nasty attitude and the standoffish persona she had created, Remy LeBeau didn't find her the least bit intimidating.

"Argh!" Rogue threw her hands in the air and tried to stalk away again.

Remy had other ideas.

Quickly, he grabbed her elbow and turned her again, this time making sure to press her flush against him.

He dipped his head and whispered quietly in her ear. "Look chere, I know you don't like dis, but it don't have to be so bad, eh? Besides, it appears t' me dat you got three t'ings workin' against you. One, y'r ribs are broken, two, y'r ticklish and three, I've already got so much dirt on you it'd ruin your bad name f'rever if I told anyone."

Rogue pulled back abruptly and glared venomously at the man.

"I'm just sayin'_petite_, I could always tickle y', tie y' up and throw y' over my shoulder before y' even get a chance to react; OR, if you'll go along wit' dis an' trust me, I promise I won't tell anyone 'bout how y' run around d' forest without any underpants."

Rogue's pace went pale for about 3 seconds before she blushed so red it nearly matched the shade of his eyes.

He suppressed a chuckle for her sake, but smiled grandly when she begrudgingly placed the blindfold over her eyes and turned around.

"Make sure ya tie it good at least, huh?" she grumbled. "And how, exactly, are you plannin' t' carry me?"

Remy smoothed the cloth down over her eyes and let his hands trail along the fabric across her ears and hair before deftly fastening the two ends together.

"Well, we could do it bridal style, but dat'd prob'ly compress your ribs too much and it wouldn't be too great on my arms either. Y' could sit on m' shoulders, but den y' might get hit wit' a branch. Or, I t'ink d' best option is if you ride piggy back."

He turned her gently around again to face him and caught the brief look of doubt on her face. "Dat good?" he asked as he checked the blindfold for defects.

"Yeah," she replied with a resigned sigh. "And ah guess yer right, that probably would be the best way to go," she colored slightly and though she couldn't see his face, she dropped her head, "but, uh, as y' already mentioned, that's gonna be a little, um…"

She covered her hands with her face quickly and made to turn away from him entirely, but he placed his hands on her bare shoulders and steadied her.

"Dere's nothin' t' be embarrassed about _chere_, it's just d' hand we were dealt dis time around. I promise I ain't gonna try and sneak a peak or cop another feel or anything, okay? We gotta take what we got here."

She nodded miserably, but still refused to raise her head.

Gently, he used his thumb to tilt her face toward him so he could better read her expression. "I'm gonna need at least a little smile here first though; otherwise I'll never have enough strength t' go on."

He smiled as she blushed faintly again, but this time the small touch of pink across her cheeks complemented the paleness of her skin instead of washing out her face entirely.

She shook her head slightly, but afforded him with a very small, but very pretty, tight-lipped smile that slowly spread and upturned one side of her mouth completely.

"_Bien_!" (good) he cried and, turning, bent down low in front of her.

"Reach y'r hand out – my shoulder'll be right in front of you." She did as requested and Remy couldn't stop the small thrill running through him as she ghosted her hand across the muscle there – feeling her way across his body.

"Now lean in close, but try to keep y'r ribs from pushing too hard against my back." Again, he waited as she followed his instructions, still blind, and leaned lightly against his back. "Your gonna need to lift one leg up an' wrap it around my waist," she hesitated slightly, "don't worry _petite_, I've got ya. Unfortunately, I need to use y'r_derriere_ (behind), t' lift y' up. If I come up straight, I'll hurt ya."

Rogue sighed and, molding herself to him more completely, she slowly let her left leg glide up along his bent knee to his waist, where she rested it shakily.

Quickly & deftly, Remy reached back with both hands and held her bottom with as much gentleness & professionalism as he could muster as he rose up with Rogue on his back.

The nervous heat she was radiating was nearly enough to throw him off balance, but he checked himself as she tightened her grip around his neck when her other foot left the ground.

He could sense the tension and slight fear in her flexed muscles – nearly every one of them in her body were coiled tight as a spring – and he chuckled slightly as immediately wrapped both feet around his waist and clung to him.

With a quick grin, he reached his hand back and lightly pinched her exposed behind.

She gasped, jerked slightly in protest and removed one arm from his shoulders to thwack him in the forehead.

"You son of a…"

"Now _chere_, I never promised not to pinch, but I do promise dat I won't do it again."

She muttered something under her breath.

"What was dat?" he asked with in an innocent tone.

"Ah said, let's get movin' already!" she bit at him fiercely, obviously not airing what she was truly thinking.

With another unseen smile, Remy turned in a circle a few times to disorient his new passenger and began splashing through the river for extra effect.

Rogue grumbled under her breath above him.

"Stupid, cocky Cajun and his stupid grabby hands…"

The rest was cut off by her shrill shriek as Remy used his now free hand to splash cold water up at her.

"GAMBIT!!"

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"Fascinating new thing.

You delight me  
And I know you're speaking of me

Fascinating new thing  
Get beside me,  
I want you to love me

I'm surprised that you've never been told before  
That you're lovely and you're perfect  
And that somebody wants you

I'm surprised that you've never been told before  
That you're priceless and you're holy  
Even when you are not new."

I'm hoping to incorporate that song into the next chapter - so I guess you can consider it a preview!


	15. Chapter 15: Those Insignificant Things

OMG. Seriously. This is a long one – at least for me. 27 pages. I was hoping for 40, but I … aw what the heck. I'm going back to write more…

Okay 36 now – bordering 37… Close enough. I'm out of material for the time being. I like the way this chapter ends, even if I wanted to get to the part where they find a place to sleep for the night.

Also, I'm VERY proud of this chapter. Not only is it super long for me, but it's also really diverse and touches on a lot of key issues. However, I REALLY need to go back and edit everything – so I'm going to get working on that…

Get ready people – we're winding down now!

**THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED ENTIRELY TO SASSY18!**

Sassy is the one responsible for this update. I shouldn't even be taking credit. She came up with SO many good ideas for this chapter and most of the next ones. She's been helping me flesh out ideas for character interaction and development as well as suggesting different actions for different characters. I've put "S" wherever she gave me ideas. Thank you SO much !

Please forgive me for the incredibly late update. I know I said mid to late February, but I've been dealing with a lot of garbage lately.

Turns out I have a problem with a hormone imbalance and a serotonin deficiency. Makes me very tired/lazy/depressed, etc. but I'm taking Cymbalta for it and feel MUCH better – so much so that I wrote 40 freakin' pages in 3 days!

**Please review and tell me what you think**! There's a LOT of content and activity in this one; let me know if there's too much going on. Much character development too. I think that people will like my section on Kurt especially.

Oh – and this is also LOADED with ROMY goodness!

Rated T for language and that's about it – oh, and one or two sexual references.

ALL BELONGS TO MARVEL

**Chapter 15 - Getting Warmer  
Day Two**

XXXXX

Professor Xavier sat in front of a room full of anxious students and attentive Acolytes as he prepared to introduce a beautiful, purple-haired woman to the diverse group. The students regarded her apprehensively, as if warily watching for any signs of a potential threat. As distrust, worry, sorrow, anxiety and even anger crossed the faces of every student and guest present, Xavier momentarily began to doubt his decision to involve a stranger in their "family" matter, but he cleared his throat and forged on.

"Everyone, this is Dr. Elizabeth 'Betsy' Braddock," he began. "Betsy is an old friend of mine and I hope you will all show her the same respect and courtesy as you do me."

"Or myself," Eric chimed in with a pointed look to his Acolytes and the Brotherhood.

"Yes, well," Xavier continued, "Betsy is a professional grief counselor. She travels around the world in times of great tragedy to help survivors and loved ones deal with their losses…"

A muttered jab, barely audible in the tense hush of the room, wafted through the small group of grieving mutants.

"And she prob'ly makes a pretty penny off 'em too."

"…As a VOLUNTEER," Xavier finished, effectively silencing the brave commentator.

Even still, the feelings of distrust & anxiety grew throughout the room until Scott, ever the vocal one these days, addressed the concern everyone was currently ruminating upon.

"Why her?" he asked, face flushed and troubled behind his red sunglasses and rough stubble.

His hair was unbrushed and hung about his face at odd angels and though he had dressed that morning, it was clear that he hadn't put as much thought or care into the task as usual. His sweatshirt and pants were both rumpled and slightly soiled – as if he had simply grabbed an outfit from his dirty laundry – one shoelace was partially undone and upon closer inspection, it was apparent that his socks (one black and one blue) did not match.

The change in his appearance was so radical, in fact, that some of the younger students began to wonder if Scott had finally lost it entirely or switched bodies with Avalanche at the very least.

Unlike the normally put-together leader of the X-Men, Lance Alvers was (for once) clean-shaven with his hair washed and combed. He had borrowed an extra pair of clothes after spending a sleepless night at Xavier's, and the clean white t-shirt and hole-less jeans made a drastic change to the boy's look.

Alongside Scott, Jean glared at her boyfriend and moved toward him to calm him down, but he pushed his way through the crowd despite her telepathic protest and desperate grab to latch onto his arm.

"Why should we trust her? Tell HER all of our thoughts and feelings when she doesn't know the first thing about us or Rogue!" Scott's voice rose as he spoke and soon his face was flushed a shade of red that almost rivaled that of his ruby-quartz glasses.

"I know you're hurting," Betsy said finally, quiet but resolute as she set her small suitcase down at her feet.

She had a thick English accent, but was eloquent and poised and spoke with an easy yet commanding grace that emphasized her powerful speech and stature. She was calmly assessing the crowd with a look on her face that screamed both intimidation & understanding and no one dared to interrupt her.

"I know it feels like you've been hit in the gut; that you want to cry or scream or fight or blame yourselves," she met each pair of eyes as she spoke in soft but firm tones.

"I know that you want to close your eyes and pretend it never happened, that a madman didn't MURDER your friend. And," she finished with a small, tight smile, "I know that none of it helps, that nothing you're feeling or wishing or thinking can change the fact that she's gone and you didn't get to say goodbye."

At that moment a soft, feminine sob echoed from somewhere in the back, but was quickly soothed by another's comforting embrace.

Dr. Braddock continued, letting her words seep into the many distraught minds & hearts in the room, "No one HAS to talk to me. Some of you won't, but I think most of you want to unload your fears and anger and grief to someone you know won't look at you any differently at the end of the day; someone who can look at the situation and be honest – tell you if you really could have done something different – and someone who can help you work through your anguish, guilt and grief in a constructive way without just putting a mental Band-Aid on it.

Xavier raised an eyebrow slightly as he turned to regard his friend.

"No offense Charles, but you do," she offered with a knowing twist of the lips.

He sighed, but nodded and turned back to his students. "She's right of course. I do tend to simply make things go away without spending ample time on them. I am a telepath, but when it comes to matters of the heart – to grieving…" Xavier sighed again and stared intently at the tile floor. "I simply don't know how to properly help all of you when I can scarcely handle my own emotion."

He hung his head slightly and the room was quiet - though the silence was no longer filled with tension, but with a begrudging acceptance and understanding.

Xavier's mouth turned up at the corners in a tired attempt at reassurance and gratitude.

"Thank you… everyone. Jean, please see Betsy to one of the guest rooms. I will be in my study if I'm needed."

Even Eric, who had witnessed the Professor's many trials through the years – had even caused most of them – watched with worried eyes as the man slowly wheeled away, his normally strong, confident posture slumped and broken.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Attention ladies an' gentlemen, dis is your captain speaking. We are now beginnin' our decent. Please keep your arms, legs an' ot'er objects inside d' Gambit Express until we've come t' a complete stop. _Merci_ (thank you)."

From atop Remy's back, Rogue rolled her still-closed eyes and bit her lip to stifle a giggle as the Cajun strolled over to a rock and helped her slowly return to the ground.

"You are such a dork," she muttered as she opened her eyes at last and carefully unwrapped her legs from Remy's waist.

"I assure you, Gambit is anything but a dork," he said, turning to face her as he felt her weight shift from him to the rock. "How's dat now? Ribs any better?"

"Yeah, much better actually. Thanks."

Remy held out his hands to help Rogue down from the rock and once her feet were firmly back on the ground, she smoothed her dress down and stretched her arms out to her sides.

"Are we good and lost now? Can I walk on mah own again instead of bein' carted around like a sack of potatoes?" She glowered at Remy, but the small, bemused twinkle in her eye betrayed her foul glare.

"Ah, come on _chere_, you know you like being treated like a vegetable," he winced as she raised an eyebrow at his poor comeback. "Dat sounded better in my head. Actually, dat didn't sound good at all. Just forget I said anything."

Rogue rolled her eyes at him again and put her hands on her hips in an irritated gesture, but struggled to keep herself from smiling as Remy dropped his head in shame.

After a moment, he looked at their surroundings and gave a little nod to himself.

"I t'ink we should be good and lost now. Hopefully de next time Apocalypse tries t' invade your dreams he won't be able to track us down. Guess we'll just have t' wait an' see though."

Rogue made a small sound of agreement as she tried to keep herself from gazing around the forest – she didn't want to give Apocalypse any help in finding them, and if that meant she'd have to trust Remy completely to survive, well then…

Oh God, what was she thinking?

"Um," Rogue started, glancing around at the trees surrounding the small clearing they had stopped in, "what uh, what about water Ga – Remy? How are we gonna find our way back to the river when we need water? We can't risk gettin' dehydrated, and if we don't find food soon, we won't have the strength t' keep walkin'."

At the mention of food, Rogue's stomach growled furiously, as if providing evidence of her claims.

"Don' you worry 'bout a t'ing _petite_, Remy's got it all worked out in his head. I know where d' river is when we need water. It's a walk, but easy enough to get dere." He stopped and looked thoughtful for a moment, but continued, "I can't tell you where it is from here 'cause dat'd give Apocalypse a clue as t' where we are and we can't have dat. And I won't let y' starve neither. We can't have a fire - means meat's out - but dere's plenty of plants and leaves and greens t' eat in de woods."

He didn't want to say anything to worry her, but Remy knew that if the river turned suddenly and started a new direction, they'd be utterly screwed. They would need to make several trips each day to scout out the path of the river and get water. It would cost them precious little time, but was absolutely necessary for their ultimate survival.

Rogue raised her eyebrow at him again as she began to seriously doubt his outdoor survival skills. She cleared her throat and tried desperately not to look around and take charge of the situation.

"Not to uh, doubt yer leadership skills or anything, but how the sam hill are we supposed to know what plants are edible and what's poisonous? There's plants that you can eat the berries, but not the leaves and flowers and others that you can eat the buds and stems, but not the berries."

She stared him down, hoping he had SOMETHING of a decent response to her question, praying that he knew what he was doing and that she was not, in fact, stranded in the middle of a forest without food, water, shelter or respectable clothing with a complete imbecile.

"Well," he said at last with a self-assured smile, "dere's always grubs and crickets."

"Ugh. Ah think ah just lost mah appetite," she replied with a look of utter disgust.

"Well den, I guess it's a shameful waste dat I happened t' stop by dis here berry bush," he said with a large smile as he stepped away from a small, nearly hidden cluster of bushes baring large, dark blue berries.

"Oh well, I suppose we'll just wait 'til you've got your appetite back. Let's get movin' den." With the same face-splitting grin, Remy began to turn away from the bushes and head in another direction, all the while keeping his eyes on Rogue as the girl practically sprinted the 10 foot distance to the bushes and fell to her knees in front of them.

Without stopping to consider what Remy might think of her "table manners," Rogue attacked the small fruits as she began to rip the berries from the rough branches and shove handfuls of them into her mouth. They were sweet and juicy and just heavenly in her dry, malnourished mouth, and within seconds her face, hands and chin were oozing with bright blue juice.

Remy laughed loudly at her. "Boy Rogue, de way your devourin' dose things, someone might t'ink y' haven't eaten in a week!"

Rogue didn't pause in her consumption of the berries, but she did manage to raise one blue-stained finger at him for about two seconds before she engrossed herself with eating again.

With a light chuckle, Remy kneeled down next to her and started to carefully pluck the berries from an adjacent bush – every so often popping a few into his mouth as he filled his pockets with them. He was a little worried about ruining his coat with blue stains, but at the moment, the need for food was much more important than the color of his precious leather duster.

As Rogue continued to stuff her face next to him, Remy turned a concern eye in her direction and paused a moment in his own foraging.

"Rogue, you really oughta go easy on dose – you'll make yourself sick eatin' like dat."

Mid-mouthful, she glared murderously at him for a moment, but bit her now blue lip as she swallowed and sat back from the bush, silently agreeing with him.

Remy whistled low. "You musta been pretty famished dere _chere_. How long's it been since y' had a decent meal?"

Rogue pursed her lips and closed one eye as she mentally counted the days.

"Ah guess it musta been… three or four? Ah can't remember eating anything the day before graduation and ah wouldn't have had anything that day either, so ah guess it's been about four now."

She cleared her throat as her cheeks turned pink. "Sorry about that ungodly display," she muttered quietly as she tried to find a place to wipe her sticky blue hands, "mah stomach kinda took over mah body for a minute there."

Remy gave her a small reassuring smile as he pulled a few of the still-wet strips of black cloth from his inside pocket and handed them to her. He turned his head back to the bushes and began to gather more berries as she shyly wiped her face and hands.

"_Pas de problem_ (no problem/no big deal). Remy won't tell anyone dat you eat like a pig." He smiled again as she glared at him.

"Well thanks for that ah guess, but you CAN tell me about Apocalypse's plan now. Ah know you've been avoiding the subject for a while and ah want some dang answers."

Rogue stood and placed her hands on her hips, trying to intimidate him into relenting and telling her everything, but she didn't realize that the berries had stained her hands, lips and chin a dull blue color and that she was starting to resemble a Smurf.

Sighing to contain his laughter, the Cajun picked himself off the ground and slapped the dust from his pants. His pockets were filled to the brim with berries – hopefully they would last a few days, but with Rogue's appetite, he worried that they might not last an hour!

"Alright _chere_, I'll tell y' everything I know, but let's walk and talk eh? I'd prefer if we keep movin' as much as possible. De more distance we put between us and Apocalypse, de better."

Rogue considered him for a minute, but then nodded and fell into step behind him as they began their trek through the forest.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"So Jubes, what do you think of Dr. Braddock?" Amara asked casually as she examined her finger nails over a cup of tea. She, Jubilee, Rahne and Tabitha had decided to go searching for a quick-fix way to relax and get some quiet – of course, that involved herbal teas and chocolate.

Jubilee munched thoughtfully on a chocolate cupcake and shrugged. Swallowing, she replied quietly as she wiped a trace of chocolate frosting from her lips, "I don't know. She seems okay, I guess."

Tabitha looked up from her own cupcake to join the conversation. "Do you think you'll go talk to her?" she questioned quietly.

With clouded eyes, the Asian X-Man shrugged again and looked out the window, "I … I don't know. I sorta want to, but I was never really close to … we weren't really friends or anything. I think the only thing we ever said to each other was "hey" and "git th' heall outtah mayh wahy."

Rahne snorted at the other girl's shoddy attempt at a southern accent, but at least it seemed to lighten the mood a little.

"Yeah," Tabitha announced, "Rogue was NOT the girl to mess with ya know? I mean, remember when Bobby tried to freeze her underwear, so she retaliated by fighting ice with fire?" 

The blonde grinned widely as Amara huffed loudly with mock indignation, but still, all four girls doubled over with laughter as they pictured the memory.

"Wait," Rahne cried, "I donnae remember HOW she got him naked in the first place."

"Oh that's RIGHT," Amara exclaimed, "you were studying with Jamie!"

"Okay, so get THIS," Tabby jumped in, her half-eaten cupcake forgotten. "So she waits 'til he's in the shower, 'borrows' Amara's powers…" she said, making air quotes again.

"WITHOUT my permission, I might add!" Amara complained with a frown.

"Whatever Princess, you were only dazed," Boom Boom continued, "and she starts a small 'fire' right under the bathroom door. So as far as Bobby can tell, he's only got one way out."

Rahne looked confused for a moment. "Wait, wouldn't he just try to put it OUT?"

"Well yeah, he TRIES," the blonde explained, "but that's why she had ME turn off the water to the bathroom! He can only go so long in that type of heat before he starts to run out of juice. Plus, Roberto decided it might be fun too, so that didn't help Bobby at ALL."

"Then," Amara stepped in, her eyes dancing with laughter, "Rogue yells at him to go out the window and 'escape' because the sprinklers are malfunctioning; so he grabs his towel and uses the last of his ice to slide to the lawn…"

Tabitha barged in again, cutting Amara off, "Rogue douses the flames as he hits the ground and - while we're all running for the windows to get a look - shouts, 'Bobby Drake that towel is MINE!' and uses Magma's magma to set the ends of it on fire!"

"Well sure, ai remember that part!" Rahne laughed as the girls all began giggling. "Ai always wondered why he dinnae ice up to cover himself."

"Yeah," Jubilee sighed wistfully, "it's a shame Ororo had to ruin it by making it rain."

"'Course," Tabby shrugged with a mischievous smile, "even an ice towel is somewhat translucent…"

"Tabitha!" Amara admonished, blushing. "You are so BAD!"

"What, don't tell me you've never thought about what the guys around here look like."

"Never," Amara claimed, her chin held proudly in the air and her jaw set stubbornly.

Tabitha leaned over the table and locked eyes with her Brazilian friend. "You," she pointed to Amara, "are a LIAR!"

Amara blushed furiously as Jubilee and Rahne laughed hysterically.

"Oh shut up Jubilee," Amara snapped, "We all know you've got the hots for Bobby!"

It was Jubilee's turn to gape and turn colors as the other three giggled.

"So what if I do?" she finally admitted, turning on her friends. "It's not like you three don't have a crush on someone here!"

Amara blushed, but Rahne looked bewildered.

"Ugh," the young Scottish girl replied, "Ai'm definitely NOT into the boys here."

"Oh please," Tabby rolled her eyes, "You and Roberto definitely have some kind of chemistry."

"Aye – like oil an' water!" Rahne exclaimed. "I cannae stand such an arrogant boy!" She smiled sweetly and turned to Amara. "But YOU an' Sunfire on the other hand, have a common…element, wouldn't you say?"

Amara's eyes went wide and she blushed furiously, the red tint reaching from her hairline to below her shirt collar.

"I … I don't… You're crazy! We don't…. NO!"

The other girls nearly fell from their chairs with laughter.

"Oh yeah," Tabby accused through her giggles, "I saw the way he hugged you earlier – and YOU didn't seem to mind one bit."

Amara's blush deepened enough to match her crimson fingernail polish. "I was DISTRAUGHT! He was comforting me!" she cried, trying to absolve herself.

"And if I noticed correctly," Jubilee piped in, "neither of you were in much of a hurry to move away."

In response, Amara hid her face in her hands and the simple movement caused a whole new round of chortles from the table.

They were cut off abruptly, however, by the sound of the kitchen door swinging open.

"Ugh," Wanda rolled her eyes and made to leave again as she saw the four girls giggling with abandon.

"Hey Wanda, wait," Tabitha called from her seat by the door. "Why don't you sit down and talk with us?"

Wanda paused, but she looked around cautiously as she regarded the other girls. "I'm not really in the mood for senseless gossip."

"We have chocolate…" Boom Boom raised one of the double chocolate cupcakes and waved it around in temptation.

Wanda pursed her lips as she tried to convince herself to leave now before the madness consumed her, but the need for chocolate covered comfort won out over her anti-social tendencies.

"You DO know I could just take that right out of your hand?" Wanda asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

Tabitha remained unfazed by the menacing look on the young witch's face, but the other X-Girls gulped silently and tried to subtly scoot their chairs away.

"Yeah, I know," Tabby replied with a small smile, "but you didn't come all the way over here from the Brotherhood house so you could be alone, did you?"

For a brief moment, Wanda's eyes flashed with boiling rage and her fists glowed blue as her powers activated. But then, much to the surprise and relief of the other girls, the Scarlet Witch simply sighed before hexing a chair over to rest near Tabitha.

"You're such a pain in the a - "

"Hey, children in the room!" Amara cried before Wanda could finish her sentence, glancing toward the youngest X-Man present.

"Oh bite me princess. That one's got a mouth on her like you've never seen," Wanda replied as she pointed at Rahne and took the cupcake Boom Boom offered.

As the other girls at the table turned to the slightly pink Rahne, the redhead tried to look offended and innocent at the same time.

"Ai donnae know what you're talkin' about," the Scottish girl protested, turning back to her own cupcake.

Swallowing a mouthful of chocolate-y goodness, Wanda rolled her eyes and scoffed, "Oh please, I've heard you behind the bleachers after class, ranting about your teachers and training and everything. You could make my father blush."

Immediately, the shade of Rahne's face matched her hair.

"Oh sod the bloody hell off you cow," Rahne barked at Wanda, only slightly fearful that the other girl would retaliate.

"RAHNE!" Amara screeched, covering her ears and moving farther from both girls.

The girls all waited as Wanda munched quietly on the cupcake, her eyes slitted and furious-looking. As the goth glanced around the table and took in the fearful gazes of the X-Girls - Tabitha included this time - she simply laughed instead.

Startled, Jubilee, Tabitha, Rahne and Amara all exchanged worried glances.

"Look at you four. You go up against all kinds of 'bad guys' – even went and created The Sirens – and you stare at me like THAT? I'm not Apocalypse you know, I have morals."

At the mention of the mega-mutant's name, the girls all fell into an anxious hush.

Wanda sighed heavily, "I'm – I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"It's okay. It just… sucks," Jubilee offered quietly.

Wanda nodded and set the remains of the cupcake down on a napkin.

Tabitha spoke up again, half-heartedly attempting another round of gossip to lighten the mood.

"So Wanda, what do you think of _Elizabeth_?" Tabby purred the woman's name as she waggled her eyebrows, causing Wanda to roll her own dark brown eyes at the exaggerated display. 

The Brotherhood girl picked at the little pieces of cupcake remnants as she mulled over the question. "I don't know. She's okay I guess. Haven't really met her yet."

"Yet?" Rahne questioned, daring to speak again.

Wanda's mouth quirked up in the tiniest of smiles. "Yeah. I think I'm going to go talk to her today."

Previously engrossed in her cupcake, Amara nearly dropped the chocolate concoction in her lap as she choked and Jubilee was gracious enough to pound her vigorously on the back.

"REALLY?" Tabitha exclaimed as she folded her hands and placed her chin on her fingers, "Do tell!"

Wanda scoffed, but blushed ever so slightly. "Yeah, well, Rogue and I hang out a lot. You don't think she's borrowing Anne Rice books from the cheerleaders at school do you?"

The other girls looked pensive before Amara finally spoke up.

"Yes, but, it's just… You're… you know… You're so… tough."

Wanda sighed and rolled her eyes again slightly before responding, "That might be true, but it doesn't mean that I don't have feelings too. Maybe I get tired of not having anyone to talk to. You all get to sit around together and have pity parties over cake and ice cream and chocolate. I get… boys. Brotherhood boys. Rogue was the one cool person that I could talk to about my crappy day and what I did to Toad for touching my stuff. She understood what it was like..." she trailed off quietly, picking at her cupcake again.

"What what was like?" Rahne asked, curiosity and tears filling her eyes.

"To be stuck with no one that understands you and no one to talk to… To not to fit in. To pretend you're something that you're not," Wanda finished, finally pushing the remaining flecks of chocolate away with force. "Ugh. No wonder I don't do this 'girly' stuff – listen to me. I sound like … Jean."

Jubilee, Rahne and Tabitha roared with laughter while Amara looked offended.

"That's really unfair," the princess contended, "Jean's not that bad."

"Oh really," Tabitha spoke up, becoming more incensed by the second, "aside from that outburst in the Control Room yesterday, little miss perfect hasn't batted an eyelash once. She just keeps going on through her day like everything's normal – studying for college, talking on the phone, surfing the net, chores, everything. I don't care how much those two didn't get along. Have a little respect, huh?"

This time it was Tabby's turn to look gloomy and sour while the other girls fell silent once again.

"Maybe I'm not the only one who should go talk to Betsy," Wanda whistled at last, successfully breaking the ice again.

"Aye," Rahne chirped in, "if anything else, you can both go whine about how horrible the Brotherhood boys are."

"Bleh!" Tabby exclaimed suddenly, her sullen mood forgotten, "I can't believe you can put up with it. Worst two months of my LIFE!"

"And Toad's," Wanda chimed in and both girls began laughing uncontrollably.

"What? What's so funny?" Amara asked as she, Rahne and Jubilee sat staring in shock at the other two girls.

"What'd I MISS?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Are you… are you SURE?" Rogue questioned as she and Gambit made their way through the dense forest.

He was forging ahead and trying to clear something of a path for her as he explained Apocalypse's plan and divulged all his knowledge of the intended rituals. The path had to be good enough for Rogue to walk through without injuring herself any further, but discrete enough to prevent them from being tracked … or at least tracked EASILY.

"M' sure," he tossed over his shoulder while ducking under a low branch.

"So they want to…"

"Uh, huh."

"Yeah, well, if Apocalypse thinks he's gonna use some weird voodoo or magic to make me his slave, he's got another thing comin'," she gruffed and glared at the thought.

"_Chere, _dat ain't even de worst of it… Won't tell y' de worst if'n you don't wanna hear it. I sure didn't."

Rogue gulped inaudibly and felt her stomach roll.

"There's MORE than him plannin' to do some ritual on me to make me his slave and use my powers to rule and destroy the world?"

She sighed heavily as her stomach lurched again. She really DIDN'T want to hear it, but probably should anyhow. Goodness knew her stomach couldn't handle much more though – she was already queasy enough! The sun and heat was beating down on them too and the feeling of sticky sweat along with the smell from lack of deodorant wasn't helping any.

"Lots, actually."

She groaned but nodded, "Go on then. Let's hear it all."

Without looking back at her, Remy steeled himself for her inevitable reaction. He figured she'd probably be freaking out on him in a matter of minutes. There would be yelling, screaming, cursing and probably more rock throwing… Goodness knew he'd probably get injured somehow!

"Well, first of all, dere are three ways dat Apocalypse is gonna use you against yourself in order to take control of y'r powers and body, but de good news is dat we can fix most of 'em and make sure his plan backfires."

Inwardly, Remy was trying desperately to figure out how to phrase this all to her. It was devastating information and "fixing" those things would be so much to ask of the girl to accomplish in just a few days. Frankly, he wasn't entirely certain they'd stand a chance.

"Mesmero said that de way you isolate yourself is big – so long as you keep y'rself closed off from everyone, no one will be able to pull you back out of his hold. Dat means first an' foremost, we gotta work on dat."

"Excuse me?"

"You," he turned and pointed to her, "need to stop bein' so stubborn and standoffish and let someone IN f'r once in y'r life."

"I am NOT standoffish," she growled as she placed her fisted hands on her jutting hips.

Remy glanced down at the pose and raised an eyebrow. With a roll of the eyes, Rogue straightened and let her hands drop.

"Okay," she agreed, "so maybe a little. Anyhow, you said there were THREE ways we could beat him."

"I said we could fix MOST of them. It's really all up t' you." He continued walking again as he tried to put some distance between himself and the soon to be livid girl.

"De uh, de second is y'r powers. He said dat because you hate 'em so much, it makes you more susceptible to the ritual. So, stop hatin' everything – 'specially y'r powers."

She scowled at his back.

"And stop glarin' all the time, it don't help. No more glarin'."

"Oh, okay," she replied snidely and started to roll her eyes.

"And don't gimme lip or roll y'r eyes at me no more neither; I'm tryin' t' help you here, okay."

"Fine," she agreed with the tiniest bite to her tone. She was about to throw a stick at that Cajun – ritual or not! How DARE he talk to her like she was nothing more than a child? Who the heck did he think he was?

Might as well have it all out first though – then she could hit him with stuff. Part of the recovery process and all… She grinned wickedly, but sobered as she realized there was a final thing that Remy had said couldn't be fixed.

"So what's the third thing?"

Remy grimaced and picked up his pace a bit. "The third?" He didn't particularly want to broach that subject just yet so he did the only thing he could think to do.

He stalled.

"Well, the third's more complicated. It's uh, well…"

He rubbed the back of his head roughly as he pondered the issue.

"Yeah?" Rogue was starting to grow impatient as her stomach flipped miserably with each awaiting second. It couldn't be THAT bad, right?

He rushed on, "You know how sometimes de old rituals require an animal sacrifice?"

Rogue raised an eyebrow as her stomach rolled again – Lordy, was Apocalypse gonna make her EAT a dead animal liver or something? The thought had her stomach churning anew.

"Well, it's not dat."

Rogue sighed in relief. Thank God. But then what…?

"And you know how sometimes dey have t' sacrifice de virgins?"

Rogue gulped as her eyes widened and her stomach flipped again. That madman was going to rip her heart out and make her into a living zombie, wasn't he!

"Well it's not dat, either," he finished.

"Oh fer the love of…"

"Now, now _chere_, peace & tranquility remember? No more hostility."

"I'm gonna take my **peace** right outta your behind if you don't hurry up and get to the point!"

He grinned though she couldn't see it, "Threats don't get you nowhere wit' most people, Rogue."

Biting her lip, she sighed and started to apologize.

"Good t'ing I ain't most people, eh?" He turned back to look at her over his shoulder as he continued onward at an increased pace – after all, he didn't want her to hit him!

Her eyes flashed with rage, but before she could snap back at him, a wayward tree branch crossed Remy's path and he turned back around just in time to meet it right in the face. As he muttered a curse and felt his now bruised forehead (a lovely addition to his already blackened right eye), Rogue quickly clasped her hands over her mouth to keep from laughing. Still, a small snort escaped her and Remy turned back – at a full stop this time – to glare at her.

The look was shattered by the large red welt forming right above his furrowed brows and the beautiful shiner he was sporting.

This time, she laughed out loud at him, but at least had the decency to turn her head away and try to stifle it… at least a little.

"Ha ha ha," he mocked, "let's all laugh at poor, bruised Gambit. Glad you're getting such a rise outta my pain, _chere_. I'm deeply touched by your concern."

"Thanks. Can't say I don't enjoy a bit of '**slapstick**' every now and then…" she replied with a wide grin.

Remy tried to look angry, but he only held the glare for about a second before he started chuckling too.

Before either of them knew what was happening, they had erupted into giggles that quickly morphed into uncontained, full-fledged guffaws of laughter.

Soon, Rogue was holding her sides and moaning between her snickers as she tried to stop the side-splitting pain caused by the sudden outburst.

They were still grinning like idiots when Remy sighed and broke the suddenly jovial mood by continuing forward without another word. He still had to TELL her about the third part and it made his stomach roil uncomfortably.

Rogue's smile faltered. Had she said or done something, to make him switch gears like that so suddenly? They had been getting along so well – had even been laughing together! HER! Laughing! She never laughed! 

But then he just turned cold so suddenly. Nibbling on her lower lip, she continued after him quietly, deep in thought. 

After a few minutes of strained silence, Rogue finally cleared her throat and spoke up. "So uh, what's the third thing?"

"_Quoi?_ (What?)" he asked, trying to play stupid while he thought of another way to avoid the subject. The tree branch had been a welcome distraction – painful – but welcome nonetheless.

"The third thing - in the ritual? You know that **thing** Apocalypse is going to do so I can be his **slave** forever?"

"Technically, y' won't be his slave," Remy winced inwardly. Now why did he have to go and say a thing like that?

"What do you mean 'technically'?"

"Technically," _merde, merde, merde_ – must stall! "You know, like you could call me a 'boy' even though I'm 'technically' a man. Or even though were mutants, we're still 'technically' human?"

"I know what 'technically' means Remy, don't change the subject," she stopped short and put her hands on her hips, "what's the third thing?"

"The third?" He stopped to look at her, took in the challenging glare and body language, then gulped before turning back around and practically sprinting away.

She chased him.

"DANG IT Remy, tell me what the third thing is or so help me!"

"So help you what, Rogue?" he called back over his shoulder while continuing onward, "you ain't got no powers any more so you can't just drain de answer outta me. Seems I'm de one holdin' all de cards, eh?"

Rogue growled from behind him, but stayed hot on his heels.

"Will you just TELL me already? The suspense is makin' me sick!" It was true, too. She was starting to feel VERY nauseous now – must be the stupid berries.

Time to bite the bullet and just get it over with! "Technically you won't be his slave 'cause he wants to make you his Queen."

"Yeah, ah know. He called me that a bunch," she yelled back as they continued at a very brisk pace – Rogue had to practically jog to keep up with him. "Why though? And how! How does he intend to make me his Queen? Aren't Queens usually married to K-…" Her eyes widened as realization dawned.

In the vision, Apocalypse had been awfully touchy and the way he had looked at her was almost…

"Oh mah God," Rogue muttered, her pace slackening, but not stopping entirely. Her stomach was doing back flips now.

"Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner. Tell de pretty lady what's she's won!" Remy joked upon glancing back at Rogue's suddenly VERY pale face.

At least she wasn't throwing stuff at him for not telling her sooner. Yet.

"Well _chere_, you've won a beautiful white wedding dress, golden crown with dozens of rare and precious jewels, a 100 something karat diamond wedding ring aaaaaand… a lifetime of world-dominating bliss with a complete madman! Congratulations!"

He stopped mid-stride and turned to find Rogue staring, motionless, at the ground. Her mouth was still open in a wide "O" and her eyes appeared almost glassy as she clutched at her ribs. Or was it her stomach?

"Rogue?"

"Is there more?" she asked quietly, bringing her eyes up to meet his. Her grey/green eyes were shining lightly with what looked like tears, but her gaze and posture were so resolute that he couldn't lie to her or beat around the bush any more.

"Yeah, dere's more," he sighed, resigning. "De third way dat Apocalypse is going to make sure you stay his slave or Queen or whatever is by …" he swallowed hard and stared at the ground, "… taking your virginity."

She said nothing and he couldn't bear to look at her. He was too afraid of the shame, embarrassment, fear or whatever emotion he would see on her face.

"Said that you're completely 'untouched.' Pure. He said that by de-flowering you and destroying that purity, it would bind you to him completely and almost irreparably, which is why we gotta work on those other two things so hard an' fast. 'Cause if'n dey find you, we gotta make sure we have a failsafe."

He tried to lighten the mood with a fake smile as he carefully approached her, but the glow didn't reach his face – or hers.

"But hey, look on de bright side. I ain't gonna let dem find you or take you, so you don't have to worry about any of it, _d'accord_?"

She nodded numbly as he reached out for her, tilting her slightly quivering chin with his fingers to look him in the eye.

"S' gonna be okay, _chere_. Promise."

She swallowed uncertainly and her eyes widened as they locked with his.

Was he was leaning in?

He WAS! What was he…? Was he was going to KISS her! His unique, beautiful eyes were still on hers, but the lids were slowly sinking closed and despite the rumblings in her stomach she found her own doing the same.

She could feel his breath on her face – warm and moist and… so much like Apocalypse. Who wanted to rape her and use her and …

Oh god.

"Remy, ah…" her eyes opened a bit more as she tried to choke out her words, but her stomach was churning and she couldn't think straight, and his breath was on her face - on her skin - and …

He pulled back infinitesimally with his eyes still mostly closed and responded with a breathy, "_oui_?"

Her eyes flew open as she wrenched her head from his grasp and jumped back from him.

"Ah think ah'm gonna be sick!" With that, she turned and fled three or four steps to the cover of a cluster of trees and proceeded to vomit all over the forest floor. **S**

Remy winced. It wasn't exactly the reaction he'd been hoping for. Not that he was looking for a reaction in the first place – he was trying to comfort her and in the next moment… It had just happened. He'd had the overwhelming urge to kiss her – kiss away her terror and tears and he'd gotten carried away.

Stupid!

He cursed himself out silently and stepped behind Rogue as she gagged. With one hand supporting herself against a tree and the other wrapped around her stomach – or was it her ribs now? – she spared the hand about her mid-section for a moment to try and wave him away. It was a motion that was greatly impeded by the heaving gags she was trying desperately to suppress.

Ignoring her unspoken pleas, Remy stepped right up alongside her and carefully gathered her curled, dirty hair with one hand and held it away from her face while the other rubbed her back soothingly.

As soon as Rogue figured out that the Cajun wasn't just going to leave her in the peace of puking out her organs, she gave up on trying to keep her berries down and instead gave in to the swirling mass of disgustingness in her stomach.

She vomited and retched and gagged for nearly 10 minutes – long after she had nothing left to give – and still her body was racked with long, painful dry heaves. Her face was streaked with dirt, mud, berry juice and now tears and she didn't doubt that she had bile somewhere in the mix as well. And her hair… oh her hair was likely a disaster.

If Remy hadn't pulled it back as soon as he had – she blanched at the mere thought of how badly she would have looked then.

Of course, he'd just had a front row seat to her amazing digestive pyrotechnics so…

Oh GOD!

Rogue tried not to whimper as she took a deep breath and gagged again.

"Take it easy, _chere_," Remy said at last. "Don' rush it. Breathe in through de nose and out through de mouth. Nice and easy like." He continued to brush one hand soothingly over her back as he whispered quietly to her, seemingly content to just hold her hair and stand with her.

He just hoped she hadn't gotten any vomit on his shoes…

XXXXX

Jean sighed heavily and rubbed her temples as she closed her college textbook for European History and pushed it away. Rolling her head in a few quick semicircles to work out the kinks in her neck, she nibbled on her lip a moment before rising from the small oak desk in her bedroom.

She had immediately retreated to blessed isolation after showing Dr. Braddock to one of the guest rooms. The two had hardly exchanged more than three words along the way and thankfully, Jean recalled, the psychologist had not tried to bring up any type of psychobabble or small talk.

Crossing her room to the closed door, Jean paused as she reached for the handle. She wanted to see Scott, but he was still in the Professor's office – presumably discussing Scott's current "condition" – mental, physical and otherwise.

She frowned as she recalled her boyfriend's appearance that morning. Sure he hadn't left her room until the late morning hours and neither had gotten much sleep despite the reassuring calm of their shared presence, but before the … incident… he had at least been able to **function** on such a lack of sleep. The young man who had spoken out against Betsy's presence that morning was not the same person as the tough, unshakeable leader she had come to fall in love with.

Rogue's … death … was impacting Scott Summers much more deeply than Jean liked. She herself was grieving too – everyone was – but with the way Scott was acting, it was almost like… like he had lost a **love**…

Jean swallowed hard and ducked her head shamefully. What was WRONG with her! She was jealous of Rogue! A moody, foul-mouthed, untouchable gothic girl. A de - Jean paused as the reality sunk in - a DEAD girl.

Tears sprung to the red-head's eyes as she walled off her emotions and thoughts and grabbed the door handle, roughly pulling it open. Kitty and Kurt were fighting in the Danger Room again, the Brotherhood Boys were doing … something… in the gardens, the X-boys were causing mischief and mayhem for each other (their own unique way of dealing), and the girls were all downstairs eating chocolate and ice cream and gossiping.

It was just what she needed! A little feminine company and social interaction would really help take her mind off Scott, Apocalypse and… everything.

She practically raced down to the kitchen area, passing six or seven Jamie's throwing water balloons at Ray and Roberto rather quickly and without comment. Normally she would scold them for making such a mess, but at the moment everyone needed some kind of release and it didn't feel right to make them stop. As long as they cleaned up the destruction later, she wouldn't get mad.

Still, the boys paused and froze as she passed – not daring to breathe lest they be scolded. She sensed their bewilderment as she continued on her way without notice to their "activities," but within moments of her departure, they renewed their efforts and started throwing powers into the mix.

Jean winced. Maybe she should have at least warned them to keep it down…

Oh well. Besides, she wasn't so anal that she'd tell the boys to behave themselves when they just needed to let off a little steam. And since the Danger Room was constantly being monopolized by either Kurt or Logan… well, an indoor water fight wasn't the WORST thing that had ever happened to the mansion.

As she approached the kitchen, Jean pasted her trademark smile on her face and prepared to join the latest gossip pool. So long as the topic didn't turn toward … recent events… everything would be fine. And she could always steer the conversation in a new direction if need be.

She brightened a little as she heard laughter reverberate through the room and quickened her pace so she could join in on the fun. She was just in time to hear Tabitha get started – that girl may be a handful, but she was sure good for fun and gossip!

"… Aside from that outburst in the Control Room yesterday, little miss perfect hasn't batted an eyelash once. She just keeps going on through her day like everything's normal – studying for tests, talking on the phone, surfing the net, chores, everything. I don't care how much those two didn't get along. Have a little respect, huh?" Tabitha's voice was sour and sullen and the mood in the room darkened.

Jean stopped and gasped. She may be a telepath, but she didn't need her powers to know exactly who and what they were talking about. Biting her lip and turning on her heel, Jean fled the scene with tears in her eyes. **S**

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"What ah WANT is for you to just stop pesterin' me okay?" Rogue shouted at Remy as she sat on a rock by the river with her eyes shut. She wasn't exactly sure which side of the river she was on, or where it was in relation to her … When they'd arrived, Remy had turned her around in enough circles to make her nearly puke.

Again.

"Ah've had enough water. Don't need more for a good while. Ah've had enough rest and Ah've DEFINITELY had enough berries," she growled at him – wherever he was. "Let's just get movin' again, okay? The farther away we get the better."

She shuddered involuntarily as she recalled Remy's description of Apocalypse's plans and the man's rather unhealthy obsession with her.

"You need to eat somethin' _chere_, s' not healthy to keep movin' on an empty stomach," he called back from … was it her left?

"The only thing ah need is for you to leave me alone! You're not my moth---," she grimaced with a brief scowl, "mah KEEPER, so ah don't need you to keep fawnin' over me."

"Why not?" he asked, suddenly in front of her. She jumped slightly and tried to glare at him even though her eyes were closed. "Someone needs t' fawn over you. You're obviously starved for attention."

She made a rather undignified noise deep in her throat and started to respond when he cut her off.

"And what did I say about glarin' at people. No glarin'. Bad girl."

He flicked her on the nose.

She flinched away from him – eyes still closed – and paused. Did he just…?

Once she had recovered from the shock of being scolded like a dog and FLICKED, her eyes flew open as she growled – with eerie similarity to Logan and Sabertooth – and leapt toward Gambit, fists swinging wide.

Remy laughed as he easily caught both of her wrists in his hands and held them gently above her head. "No hittin' OR kickin' either," he reprimanded, "or so help me, I'll bend you over my knee and give you a whoopin!"

He laughed aloud as she glared at him indignantly but still flushed a tiny bit. "Besides, _petite_, it's all tied in to that little ritual and you don't want to give Apocalypse any leverage, do ya?"

She looked about to give him the verbal lashing of his life, but instead took a deep breath, held it, released it slowly and with a shake of the head, confirmed that no, she did not.

"_Bien_," (good) he replied and released her. "Now shut dem eyes 'fore you give away our position."

With another deep, calming breath, Rogue complied and patiently sat back down on her designated rock.

His breath was at her ear as soon as she was seated. "Course, if you LIKE bein' spanked, just let me know and I'd be happy to oblige."

"CAJUN!" she screamed with her face blushing bright red as she lunged at him again.

XXXXX

"Yo dude, I'm telling you – we should make it out of wood," Todd complained as he hopped in circles around a large, empty patch of land near the far end of Xavier's gardens.

"We're not making it out of wood," Lance sighed as he squinted against the bright rays of the sun and tried to find the right angle. "Rogue was totally green and would hate the fact that we killed a tree to do something for her."

"What are we even going to DO?" Freddy asked between bites of his enormous sub sandwich. A slice of tomato fell out of the end and landed on his rotund, protruding belly and he simply shrugged as he picked it off his now stained white shirt and shoved it in his mouth.

"I don't know yet," Lance replied, scratching his head and mussing up his nicely done hair, "but I know it has to be special."

"Special-as-in-nice-or-special-as-in-retarded-because-you-KNOW-that's-how-it's-going-to-turn-out," Pietro commented from his seat on the nearby bench. He was watching the other three with a look of exasperation as they alternately circled the area, squinted, scratched and sighed. **S**

"Why-are-we-even-doing-this-again? It's-so-lame. We're-not-craftsmen-you-know. Anything-we-try-to-do-is-just-going-to-get-laughed-at-or-torn-down. Might-as-well-not-even-try."

Fred's face fell as he realized the truth of Pietro's words. "He's right, man, we should just give it up now before anyone knows what we were even doing."

Lance sighed and rubbed a hand over his face as he, too, considered the option of quitting.

"I don't know guys, it just feels wrong not to do SOMETHING," he said at last. "I know they're having a mock funeral 'memorial' for her and everything, but it doesn't seem like … enough."

"Well-you-know-Rogue," Pietro started again, "she-would-never-want-a-big-fuss-or-anything. She'd-probably-just-beat-us-around-if-she-knew-you-were-even-thinking-about-it."

Lance sighed again and with a long look up at one particular window in Xavier's mansion, he nodded. "Yeah, I guess you're right. Forget it."

Pietro nodded as well and he, Lance and Fred turned to head back inside when Todd suddenly hopped in front of them and blocked the path.

"No way, yo," he defied as he stood at full height and crossed his arms stubbornly.

"But Toad, Pietro's right," Fred whined, "it'll just look crappy and it's not like she would even want one anyway."

"Doesn't matter if it looks crappy, it's the thought that counts, right?" Todd rounded again, refusing to back down.

"Yeah-you-just-keep-telling-yourself-that-slimeboy," Pietro mocked as he rolled his eyes. "I'm-going-inside-to-check-out-the-video-games-or-something. Later-losers."

With that he was gone in a streak of silver.

Todd still didn't move though. "Lance, come on, yo. You knew Rogue the best – you guys were like, sorta buds," the boy persuaded, "you tellin' me that she wouldn't appreciate it just a little bit?"

Fred pondered as he chewed on the last piece of his sandwich. "Fink he's gaw a poiwn Wanc." He swallowed at last, "Rogue may not have like having a fuss over her, but everyone likes to know they were appreciated. That someone cared about them…"

Lance winced and looked back at the empty space where the … thing… would go. "I don't know. I still think she'd rather skin us alive than thank us."

"Think of it this way, yo," Todd explained, "Wouldn't she want to know that SOMEONE missed her? That SOMEONE thought about her enough to do something bigger than a simple memorial and pretty words? A stupid little headstone with her name on it doesn't exactly say, 'You were pretty awesome most of the time,' does it? You don't think she'd want SOMETHING more?"

Lance rubbed his temples gingerly and shook his head. "I don't think she wanted anything Toad. I think she got the only thing she ever wanted. Freedom. She can fly free now – no powers, no misery or pain. Just the freedom to fly." Without another look back, the Brotherhood leader swallowed the lump in his throat and shoved past Toad as he went to look for Kitty.

Fred stood silently looking back and forth between Lance and Toad – trying to decide which path to chose.

Finally, he rubbed his sticky, tomato and mayo covered hands on his overalls and clapped them together.

"Alright little buddy, I'm with you. Let's do something really special. For Rogue."

Todd beamed.

"For Rogue, man, for Rogue."

XXXXX

"Rogue! Y' gotta work with me here, okay? I'm obviously not doin' dis for m' own health!" Remy shouted with the last shred of his patience as he rubbed his skull gingerly… again.

He and Rogue were walking through the forest (yet again) while he tried desperately to get her to open up to him. She had been eerily silent for most of the day and more so since he'd told her of Apocalypse's plans.

He had to get her to open up to him, and soon, but had no idea where to start.

Asking her point blank to "let him in," hadn't turned out so well and he'd ended up with yet another bruise to the back of his head – presumably from a rock… again.

Damn, but that girl was dangerous with those things!

"Oh, ah'm sorry if ah'm not takin' yer attempts to 'get to know me' seriously. Maybe it would help if you stopped askin' about my UNDERWEAR!" she shouted at him from a behind.

He ducked just as another small stone whipped by his head and collided with the white, knotted trunk of a large tree in front of him.

"You sure you never been on a girls' softball team or nothin'? Y'r DEADLY accurate with dose rocks, _chere_."

"First of all, softball's for wusses. Ah prefer REAL baseball – with the wooden bats. Secondly, if you think ah'm accurate NOW just wait 'til I get less than twenty feet away from you!"

She was snarling again. She was honestly **trying** to improve her attitude and be… NICE… but that damn Cajun was so damn GOOD at pissing her off!

She couldn't help it if the only thing she wanted to discuss with him was how he'd like his entrails prepared for burial…

"Alright, alright. I give," Remy submitted finally and stopped to wait for Rogue to catch up. "I'll stop askin' about your preference in sexual positions if you'll play a little game wit me."

She blushed in response and glared at him, folding her arms and huffing loudly. "How about we DON'T play a little game and ah beat you silly instead?"

He raised his arms up in surrender as she fell into step beside him. The woods were less dense in this area and though the two had to duck a few branches occasionally, there was just enough room for them to walk together comfortably – at least comfortably where personal space was concerned. Rogue still looked far from comfortable with him despite his best attempts at teasing, flattering, flirting, and even good old-fashioned 3rd grade hair-pulling tactics.

He was beginning to run out of ideas on how to get her to play along and really open up to him. He might actually have to divulge something about himself for her to do the same, but that was just out of the question. There had to be SOMETHING that would either tempt her to talk to him or in the very least, drive her so insane that she would have no other choice.

In his mind it was quickly settled. He COULD go for the honest and true heart-to-heart approach, but he decided that sheer annoyance would be much more effective.

Not to mention fun!

He could try tickling her again, but that might injure her ribs more and they couldn't have that. A water fight in the river would be too cold for this time in the evening… He couldn't poke her or tug on her hair or she'd just wallop him. He needed something that would seem innocent, but really work as a plot to break down her resolve and make her talk.

He could whistle! No, actually, he couldn't whistle. He'd always been horrible at it. He'd perfected the "appreciative whistle" after years of practice, but couldn't carry a tune to save his life…

PERFECT!

"OOOOOOOOHHHHHH! Dis is the song dat doesn't eND! Yes it goes on and on my FriENd! Some people sTARted singin' it, not knowin' what it was, an' dey'll continue singin' it FoReVER just because dis is de SONG dat doesn't EnD!" Remy belted out the tune the best he knew how and made sure to throw off a couple extra keys just for good measure.

"Yes it goes on and on my FriENd! Some people sTARted singin' it, not knowin' what it was, an' dey'll conTINUE singIN' it FoReVER just becAUSe dis is de SONG dat doesn't EnD! Yes it goes on and on my FriENd! Some people sTARted singin' it, not knowin' what it was, an' dey'll conTINUE singIN' it FoReVER just becAUSe dis is de SONG dat doesn't EnD!"

Rogue was rolling her eyes and trying to ignore him, but he could tell by the tick at the corner of her left eye that he was slowly getting to her.

"Yes it goes on and on my FriENd! Some people sTARted singin' it, not knowin' what it was, an' dey'll conTINUE singIN' it FoReVER just becAUSe dis is de SONG dat doesn't EnD!"

"Ah'm absolutely horrified that you even know that song," she finally said, trying to get him to shut up for two seconds and give her ears a break.

"You'd be surprised de amount of t'ings I know _chere_. Bet I'd be surprised 'bout all de stuff you know and like, too. Shame we'll never know, eh?" he responded with a smirk. "Oh well, m' sure I'll find SOME way to fill the silence."

Rogue suppressed an eye roll. "Ah'm sure you will with that mouth…" she muttered under her breath.

Remy thought about responding with a witty comeback, but instead just shrugged and started up his singing practice again.

"Dis is de song dat doesn't eND! Yes it goes on and on my FriENd! Some people sTARted singin' it, not knowin' what it was, an' dey'll conTINUE singIN' it FoReVER just becAUSe dis is de SONG dat doesn't EnD! Yes it goes on and on my FriENd! Some people sTARted singin' it, not knowin' what it was, an' dey'll conTINUE singIN' it FoReVER just becAUSe dis is de SONG dat doesn't EnD!"

"Oh fer pete's sake!" Rogue cried, but only quickened her pace.

Remy quickened his too, and tried to stay as close on her heels as possible – being sure to project his voice into her ear as loudly as possible.

"Yes it goes on and on my FriENd! Some people sTARted singin' it, not knowin' what it was, an' dey'll conTINUE singIN' it FoReVER just becAUSe dis is de SONG dat doesn't EnD! Yes it goes on and on my FriENd! Some people sTARted singin' it, not knowin' what it was, an' dey'll conTINUE singIN' it FoReVER just becAUSe dis is de SONG dat doesn't EnD!"

X

All in all, he was surprised. It had only taken her 10 minutes to cave. So Supergirl Rogue had a kryptonite weakness after all. Picture that… **S**

"Yes. Ah want to play a game with you Remy. Ah said it didn't ah? As long as it doesn't involve anything… inappropriate or you SINGING," she added a "if that's what you're calling it" under her breath for pure spite, "then yes, ah will play a game with you. But if ah don't like the game, ah don't have to play. Deal?"

Remy bowed his head and considered the proposal.

"No deal."

"What?" Rogue looked positively stupefied.

"You heard me _Mademoiselle _Banker (Miss/Ms. – "Let's Make a Deal" Reference) I said "NO DEAL!" He pretended to slap down an invisible box and then ran around her in circles with his arms flailing wildly in the air.

Rogue stared at him like he'd grown a second head. "But YOU'RE the one who…"

"Nuh uh!" he argued as he came to a dead stop in front of her. "You don't just get to SAY you don't like the game and then not play. You either have to play de game or come up wit' a better one. Can't quit just like dat."

"But!"

"No buts. Or do y' want me t' start singin' again?"

Rogue groaned. Could she take any MORE of the singing?

"Do y' know '_Alouette'_ Rogue? I bet you'd like it. It goes like dis: '_Alouette, gentille Alouette. Alouette, je te plumerai. Je te plumerai la tete – je te plumerai la tete. Et la tete. Et la tete. Alouette. Alouette. OOHHHH! Alouette, gentille Alouette. Alouette, je te plumerai. Je te plumerai…'_". (pretty much means, "little bird, sweet little bird. Little bird I'm going to pluck your feathers. I'm going to pluck your head. I'm going to pluck your head. And your head, and your head. Little bird. Little bird…" Kinda morbid.)

"Okay, okay. Ah give. What's the game?" Rogue cut him off quickly. She'd taken enough French to know the meaning of that awful song and there were only so many repetitive verses she could stand – even if Remy's French lilt was much nicer than his previous crooning.

Remy smiled triumphantly and walked alongside her again.

"Twenty Questions, _chere_. Winner take all."

"Winner take – Remy there's no WINNER t' 20 questions! And ah'm only playin' so long as you don't ask anything too personal," she demanded with a warning finger pointed in his face.

"_D'accord_ (okay) nothin' too personal."

"And if ah don't like the question, ah don't have t' answer it."

"K, Same here, BUT you only get 2 freebies per round. I won't go out of my way to ask anything too private, but you gotta at least make a decent effort."

"Sounds fair," she agreed.

"AND," he added, making Rogue grimace, "if I get curious 'bout a certain answer, I'm allowed to ask for clarification."

"Long as ah get to do the same, that'll be fine."

"Okay den, deal?" he asked, sticking out his hand to her.

With a deep breath and a tug at her bottom lip, she took his palm in her own.

"Deal."

XXXXX

"Just back OFF Kitty, I don't want to talk to you or Betsy or anyone!" Kurt shouted at his brunette friend just before he teleported angrily from the Danger Room.

Kitty winced and bit her lip as the smoky sulfur invaded her senses, nearly blinding her.

Why couldn't he just accept it? Rogue was gone and the only thing left to do was figure out a way to take down Apocalypse.

Sighing, she shook her head to clear away the horrible thoughts and her messy pony tail bobbed dismally, it's normally perky bounce and luster betrayingly absent.

She ambled out of the now empty Danger Room in search of Dr. McCoy or Ororo – even if Kurt refused to listen to her, surely he would heed the advice of a teacher?

Kitty knew that this outright denial of … events… was extremely unhealthy for her poor blue-furred friend. He had to just ACCEPT … things … and move on. She had. No use sulking and moaning about it anymore. There would be time for grieving later.

"_No, there are far more important things to worry about now,"_ she thought morbidly as a scowl formed on her pretty little pixie face and distorted her features.

Like revenge.

XXXXX

"Favorite food." Remy asked as they walked, making sure to keep a mental catalog of all her answers. Who knew when they would come in handy – now or down the road during a date?

Wait, a date? Was he really thinking like that already? _Merde_ dis girl was doin' a number on him. He couldn't wait to get outta here and back to the land of sanity!

Rogue replied without hesitation, "Fried chicken with mashed potatoes and yellow gravy, corn on the cob and hush puppies."

"Dat's not a food, _chere_, dat's a MEAL. What's de one food dat you could eat over and over again forever and not get sick of?"

She chewed her lip as she thought about it. "Guess ah'd have to say… watermelon. That's 9 by the way, Remy."

He opened his mouth to protest, but quickly closed it again and humphed instead.

"Why watermelon?" he asked, but quickly replaced it with "I mean 'clarification, please,' _chere_."

She smiled a tiny bit and nodded. "Because it's sweet and juicy and sticky. It's one food you don't eat with a fork – ah can't wear my gloves when ah eat it and there's nothing like lickin' your fingers clean after some quality watermelon. Just the feeling of sucking that juice off each individual finger – takin' mah time and not worryin' about anyone else – breathin' in the sweet, tangy smell and that taste …"

She cleared her throat and blushed slightly as she realized how her words must sound to him.

"Sorry, ah didn't mean to make it sound like…"

"Don't worry 'bout it _chere_. But I do have t' say, you sure made me hungry for some good watermelon," he suggested flirtatiously and grinned when Rogue's blush deepened. Before she could round on him, he continued the game.

"Favorite brand of soap?"

"Soap? Why in the world…?" He gave her a no-nonsense look though and she sighed. "Okay. Brand of soap. Ah guess it's Dove.

"Clarification."

"Dang it Remy, you can't ask for clarification on EVERY question! It's **soap** for cryin' out loud, not some lewd fantasy about you in your trench coat!" She nearly gasped, but the immediate crimson color that stained her face was all Remy needed for further provocation.

"You have lewd fantasies about me? Really? Clarification, please." He was as eager as a puppy with a ball and Rogue knew that nothing would wipe the smirk off his face now.

Lord. Her and her stupid mouth and her stupid thoughts and his stupid coat! She had watched him walk ahead of her nearly all day with nothing to do but watch the coat sway back and forth along his well-toned calves. It had started out with her imagining that he must be getting awfully warm and sweaty. And, well, once she started thinking about him being all sweaty it had all gone downhill from there…

"No. No. Hell No, and that's seven and six. Next question." There, she had handled that pretty well, now hopefully he would move on and forget that stupid Freudian slip.

"Aw, _chere_, you're no fun. Please tell me about your lewd sex dreams? Gambit swears he won't tell a soul! PLEASE?" he whined desperately.

"Double and triple no, Swamp Rat. Ah don't HAVE sex dreams. 'Specially not about YOU! Sides, wouldn't have even had TIME to have dreams about you – we just met YESTERDAY."

"Technically," he corrected with a huge grin, "We've met before; you remember DAT."

She frowned. Well who WOULDN'T remember some cocky SOB nearly blowing their hand off? "Yeah, ah remember all right. Still owe you for that little present, too. And you're down t' three."

He stuck his tongue out at her and reached for her hair to pull out a bit of moss. "Fine den, **River Rat**. What's your theme song?"

"Mah THEME song?" She turned to him, a look of utter confusion on her pale face.

"_Oui_. Your theme song – it's the one song that best describes you or gets you through de day - one that you would play as the opening music if your life were a movie. Your theme song." He cocked his head to the side and looked at her like it was the most obvious question in the world - as if it were right up there with 'favorite brand of soap.'

Rogue shook her head, but bit her lip again, thinking. "Ah don't rightly know. Guess ah'll have to think about it and take a rain check."

"I'll hold you to it," he grinned.

"Oh ah'm SURE you will," she replied flippantly, skirting around an overgrown pine tree.

"What does dat mean?"

"That's two," she smirked, "It means that you are a pushy, obnoxious, stubborn person who won't let things rest until you're fully satisfied and get your way. THAT's what 'dat' means."

This time it was Remy's turn to growl indignantly. "Fine. So last question den. What's your favorite color?"

"Black," she replied quickly, automatically.

"Nuh uh. Ain't fallin' for dat. What's the real answer? You have to answer HONESTLY, remember? Doesn't help your case against Apocalypse if you lie t' me."

"How do YOU know what mah favorite color is and if ah'm lyin' or not. BLACK is…" As Remy folded his arms defiantly, Rogue sighed and dropped her head shamefully.

"Alright, fine. It's not mah favorite color. In fact, ah don't even really LIKE black – least on me. Ah didn't MEAN t' lie t' you. It's just that … most people assume it's black because they think ah'm gothic – what with the way ah dress and everything. People stay away from me when ah'm wearin' all black. It's just been easier to let people think what they want and not correct them. If they don't want to ask, ah'm not going to tell them." She fidgeted with the ends of her curly hair and tried to pull some of the excess moss and twigs from it.

"Dat's great – thanks f'r sharin', but y'r stalling, Rogue. What's your favorite color?"

She swallowed. Why was it so hard to tell him something as simple as her favorite color?

"It's uh, green. Like emerald green."

"Hmm. Nice choice," was all he said. "Your turn."

She was shocked. He didn't make a big fuss about her secret color of choice, her lying, hiding or the fact that she didn't love black. So why had she been so concerned about answering honestly in the first place?

"Um," she stumbled, looking for the right question. "Okay, same thing, what's your favorite color?"

"Black," he replied with a smirk.

"Bull." There was no way his favorite color was black. It just …didn't seem to fit.

"Clarification."

"S' true. Black is de color of night – of darkness and mystery and spooks. I've always functioned better at night, when it's dark and black. M' eyes are a bit sensitive to light and most people have a harder time noticin' their natural color when it's black out – or in. I always look good in black. 'Course, I look good in anythin', but most especially black. There ain't no 'shades' of black neither. Just black. One color, one shade. No one expects anything more from de color black den to keep bein' black."

Rogue nodded silently, looking very impressed by his explanation and he beamed.

"Course, wit' dose eyes of yours, I t'ink maybe my favorite color be changin' soon, _n'est pas?_ (is it not?)."

Rogue rolled her eyes, but ducked her head to hide her light blush behind her hair. She was amazed by how easily he could throw her off balance like that. One minute he was deadly serious, deep and insightful, the next he was flirting with her shamelessly and within sixty seconds he could do a whole 360 and annoy the hell out of her again. The X-Man tried not to huff as she sorted through her conflicting emotions and tried to change the subject back to the game before the mood got to heavy. 

"Favorite food?" she asked as he stepped over a small tree.

"Gumbo." His smile nearly split his face as he caught the incredulous look upon her face.

She snorted. "How typical."

"M' serious!" he defended quickly, "My T_ante_ (Aunt) makes d' world's best Gumbo. I could eat dat stuff f'r every meal, every day, for de rest o' my life."

His stomach promptly agreed by rumbling loudly and his face screwed up as he pulled a handful of berries from his coat pocket and popped a few in his mouth before offering the rest to Rogue.

She declined with disgust.

"Gotta eat sometime _chere_. Best t' keep your strength up." He held them out to her again and she begrudgingly took them.

"Tell me more 'bout yer family," she said as she examined one blue, semi-squished berry and stuck it in her mouth.

"Dat ain'ta question _petite_, can't fool me."

They came to a large fallen tree – about four feet wide and a hundred plus feet long – that was blocking the immediate path. The area all around it was incredibly dense with pine and fir trees and the only logical way to go was up and over.

Rogue was studying the giant log – trying to figure the best way to get over without injuring her ribs – when she felt Remy's strong, gentle hands wrap around her hips and hoist her into the air.

Suppressing a squeal of surprise, Rogue brought her knees up so she could place her feet on top of the wood and tried to catch her balance as Remy removed his hands. She ended the brief but strange swaying dance with a jittery half-stand, half-crouch and watched with envy as Remy simply placed one hand on top of the tree and vaulted over it with easy.

"Nice," she complimented with a hint of jealousy to her tone. Of course she could do the same herself if her ribs weren't broken, but in her current condition, she didn't dare try.

"_Merci_," (thank you) he replied with a small smile and bow. He then held out his hands to her and she toed closer to the curved edge of the log.

As she leaned down to place her hands on his shoulders – his hands already resting comfortably on her waist again – her sandals slipped on the smooth bark and propelled her forward abruptly.

With an almost casual grace, Remy swung Rogue's feet over and up to his left side and followed the momentum of her tumble as he dropped his hands from her hips and caught her behind the knees and shoulders in a bridal-style. He spun her around in a quick circle and laughed at the shocked look on her face before he dropped her gently to the ground.

"Well!" he said once she was standing steadily on her own two feet again, "I've had m' share of girls fallin' all over me, but dat was a unique approach." His cocky, knowing grin was all the excuse she needed to slap him lightly on the arm. "Hey now, is that any way t' treat de man who just saved you from the vicious tree monster?"

Rogue's lower lip quivered with barely contained laughter, but her eyes danced with amusement.

Without warning, she suddenly clasped her hands together in mock pleading and bent at the knees in a shoddy attempt to kneel without touching the ground.

"Oh good sir, PLEASE forgive me for my insolence! Thank you ever so kindly for SAVING me from the awful tree monster! Surely ah would have DIED without you!" Rogue could no longer contain her smile as she looked up at Remy with mischief in her eyes.

He patted her on the head. "You are forgiven _mademoiselle_, after all you are but human. But come, thank me properly now and give your wonderful white knight a kiss!"

Remy audaciously bent his head forward to Rogue's level and puckered his lips – fully expecting to be slapped.

What he didn't expect was a girlish giggle followed by a light kiss on the cheek.

With another soft chuckle and shake of the head Rogue turned to continue down the path, leaving Remy to stare in wonder as he touched his cheek softly.

"Come on white knight, we better get movin' before Apocalypse gets a chance t' catch up!"

But even with the threat of Apocalypse looming over them, neither one could wipe the smiles off their faces.

XXXXX

"Professor, we've been through this a dozen times already! Yes, I'm upset about Rogue. Yes, I feel guilty. No, I'm not going crazy. And yes, I'm going to go talk to Betsy. You can stop worrying about me and start worrying about finding Apocalypse." Scott repeated as he sat hunched over on the couch in Xavier's office.

"You'll have to forgive me if I'm not entirely convinced of your easy dismissal. I know that Rogue's death is affecting you greatly Scott…" Xavier started before Scott cut him off.

"It's affecting ALL of us Professor! It's not like I'm any better or worse off than Kurt or Kitty or Logan," he argued. "We're all grieving right now – we just all handle it differently."

"Yes, that's true Scott, but the way you are handling this is so… out of character for you. I've never seen you like this before and it worries me. It worries the students too. And Jean. I understand that you're grieving Scott – that everyone is feeling the same way right now – but your inability to function on a normal level despite this difficult time is what has me worried."

"Inability to...? Professor! I'm functioning just fine!"

The Professor raised an eyebrow and glanced at the boy's socks. "Then you wouldn't mind telling me why you have two different colored socks on?"

"I'm color-blind," he bit out, "it kinda comes with the glasses." Scott was barely restraining himself from snarling at the Professor and tried to take a deep breath to calm himself.

"I see. And your clothes and hair?"

"Well gee Professor, I'm sorry I didn't dress up in a suit and tie for you, but one of my best friends just DIED because we FAILED and couldn't stop Apocalypse. Forgive me for my lack of propriety!" Scott shouted as he towered above the Professor – the desire to hit something was becoming much harder to suppress and Scott was starting to fear that the Professor was going to take the brunt of that mistake.

"Why don't you stop concerning yourself with my CLOTHES and start looking for ways to stop Apocalypse and bring him down. 'Cause like it or not, I'm coming with you when it happens. There's no way I'm not gonna be there for the rematch. There's a score to settle and I intend to be there."

Before the Professor could reply, Scott was heading for the door and effectively dismissing any further discussion of the matter.

"I'll be in the Danger Room with Kurt. Working on my grief in a HEALTHY way if that's okay with you." It wasn't a question.

The Professor sighed and rubbed his temples. He should go check on the other students or at least see how Beast and Storm were progressing on their search for information on Apocalypse, but his head was throbbing from the emotional and mental strain of the last few days.

He looked out the window and sighed, glancing up at the heavens at wondering if anyone was really watching over them.

If anyone was watching over Rogue…

XXXXX

"ARGH!" Kurt bellowed from his new perch atop the mansion's roof. He paced back and forth in the cool summer breeze as he tried to work off his frustrations on the shingles.

Expensive, yes, but well worth the peace and solitude right now. Plus, it was probably far cheaper than beating his anger out on the Danger Room sims every other hour!

He groaned again and pulled at his hair as he quickened his pace across the roof.

Why didn't anyone BELIEVE him?

They SHOULD be out looking for Rogue, but instead, the Professor had brought in a "professional" grief counselor! What a crock of …

A bird's song interrupted his line of thought and he turned toward the happy little menace with a glare.

It was perched on the very edge of the mansion's roof opposite of him on the West side of the building. It was small, less than 6 inches long with a tiny, blackish colored bill and an iridescent green head. Its belly was a pure, clean white and ended in a dark grey, forked tail.

Snarling, Kurt looked around for something to hurl at the bird, but found nothing.

It sang again – oblivious of the blue mutant's growing anger and malevolence. It was a pretty, high-pitched trill of whistles and twitters that echoed through the eaves and gables of the roof and made Kurt's head spin.

With his tail swishing violently behind him, the demonic-looking mutant dropped to all fours and sprang toward the wicked creature. He teleported at a run and landed just a few feet away, his hand raised high with the intent to strike and silence it permanently.

Startled by Kurt's unexpected appearance, the bird frantically tried to escape as the boy's hand crashed toward it. Right before the moment of impact, however, the sun suddenly caught in his eyes and temporarily blinded him, giving the small creature the chance it needed to escape.

Kurt turned away from the brief flash of sunlight and shielded his eyes, a frown upon his face.

Stupid bird. Lucky for it!

Glaring down at the empty spot it had just recently occupied, Kurt swallowed and tried not to gasp.

"Mein Gott…(my god)" he whispered as his eyes fell up five small white eggs within a delicate nest of twigs and feathers.

He backed away from the nest slowly as the mother bird circled above shrieking wildly, but was still too frightened to get close.

He had nearly killed…

His head shot up to the slightly setting sun as tears sprung to his eyes. Had the sun not blinded him…

He licked his lips and took a short, shaky breath before teleporting off the roof and back into his own room.

The sun. The SUN had saved the bird – saved them both really.

With a distinct air of determination, Kurt crossed the floor of his bedroom swiftly and pulled open the bottom drawer of his dresser, nearly yanking it out completely in his haste.

His hand was trembling as he reached down for the old, worn black Bible and accompanying rosary. His blue fingers grazed over the scored wooden beads and tarnished gold chain of the antique rosary as he gently picked it and the Bible up from their resting place.

He brushed the pads of his fingers over the golden cross of the rosary and traced the same pattern against the Bible as he walked quietly and solemnly to his window to sit on the rail in the slowly waning sunlight.

With his tail wrapped around the railing, he perched expertly on the narrow beam, then set the book on his knees with one hand over it while the other grasped the rosary and slowly ghosted over the beads. He gazed into the sky with the sun burning his retina's and swallowed hard. His throat was dry – too dry – and the leather Bible and wooden beads felt foreign in his hands, but he dropped his head regardless.

And he prayed.

"Ze Lord is my shepherd; I shall not vant…"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I hope you enjoyed this one. Chapter 17 will likely be even longer with all the stuff I have planned for it.

Please, please, PLEASE review! My lifetime ASPIRATION is to have a story that has at least 500 reviews and we only have a few chapters left to go!

Drops to knees

PLEASE Review!


	16. Chapter 16: How We Deal

Well, I wanted to post this chapter now (even though it wasn't done entirely) because I've just found out that I'm losing my job and only source of internet access because of my #& depression. Wow. This has been a GREAT year and I can honestly, HONESTLY say that if it weren't for my husband I would have O.D.ed on sleeping pills last night. I've never really thought about killing myself before, but this year has been one for the record books.

sigh

Anyhow, I've decided to break the original chapter 16 into three sections because it would end up being over 100 pages if not. This chapter is a little shorter than the others will be, but I think it ends well. Just to let you all know, there will be about 18 sections to chapter sixteen – there are only FIVE here.

**P.S. – I NEED YOUR HELP!! In Chapter 15, Remy posed the "theme song" question. I know what I want to be Rogue's, but I need help with REMY'S! **Please include a suggestion in your review on what Remy's "theme song" should be (a song that characterizes Remy or makes you think of him whenever you hear it – something that he would find uplifting and/or fitting for himself) and WHY you think it fits him.

Thanks go out to Sassy again for her wonderful suggestions on Jean torture…

Hope you all enjoy!

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"My Lord!" Mesmero cried, rushing to his master's side, "My Lord, are you alright?"

Apocalypse was hunched over in his golden throne, his gaze frozen and dead-looking upon the stone floor of the massive room. A few large torches blazed drearily in the desolate space and cast an eerie glow upon the rapidly aging mutant. His once strong, solid face was lined with wrinkles and his cold violet eyes were tired and worn around the edges. His left hand lay curled into his body, hidden beneath the vast blue robes that covered his muscular frame.

Mesmero reached out to his master, silently asking permission to assist, and Apocalypse gingerly removed his hand from beneath the robes to let Mesmero examine it. As Mesmero's gaze fell upon the limb, he was careful not to gasp and cause his master more concern. The hand was withered, decrepit and practically useless. The bones and veins protruded sickeningly from beneath the nearly translucent flesh as his wrist hung limply from the as of yet unaffected forearm.

The difference between his hand and forearm was simultaneously fascinating and frightening to the servant. It was as if Apocalypse was slowly converting back to his former self – to the way he had appeared just seconds before draining the mutant girl of her powers, thus regaining his youthful image.

"My Lord," Mesmero pleaded, "we must get you back to the chamber. You should conserve your strength until we find the girl."

Apocalypse slowly turned his dark gaze toward the tattooed face of his telepathic servant who immediately flinched away.

"Yes. You WILL find that girl. You will find my QUEEN, Mesmero, and soon. Or it will be YOUR life I sacrifice instead of that impudent boy's!" Though Apocalypse's voice was strained and heavy, the promise in his words was not lost on the servant.

Mesmero bowed heavily and stepped back. "Yes Master, as you wish. We will find the girl before the new moon, I assure you. Then she and the mutant boy, Gambit, will be yours to play with as you see fit."

The blue mega-mutant's lips turned up into a chilling grin as he considered the many ways he would torture the two infidels for their insolence. He would need to keep his Queen alive, but the other one…

There were many, many things Apocalypse had in mind for that meddling thief. If Gambit was lucky, he would die at the hand of the robot guards long before Apocalypse could reach him.

However, once the girl's powers were fully under his control, he might consider resurrecting the card-throwing troublemaker just for the enjoyment of torturing the man to death. He could amuse himself for all eternity by torturing and killing Gambit only to bring the boy back to life so he could repeat the process over again.

His Queen, on the other hand, would need to be taught a lesson or two as well, and Apocalypse only hoped Mesmero found her well before the new moon. He wanted time with her before the ritual was completed. After that, well, torturing her wouldn't be as fun without the screams…

"Are you close to finding them, Mesmero?" Apocalypse asked at last as he pulled himself away from the visions of his Queen writhing in pain before him.

"We – we are… we are looking, My Lord," Mesmero stammered piteously. "It would be much easier if I could drop the psi-shield for a moment. Then I would be able to find them within moments."

"NO!" Apocalypse bellowed, his good hand stretching out toward his slave. Mesmero cowered beneath his Master's raised palm, expecting a surge of pure agony to ripple through his body, but Apocalypse simply glared at him instead before resting his good hand in his lap atop the withered one.

"I will not waste what little strength I have left on you now, Mesmero. But, if you speak of dropping the shields again, I will cause you ten times the pain you just imagined." Apocalypse fixed the man with a deadly stare and Mesmero bowed low.

"Yes, My Lord."

Apocalypse nodded. "We will not drop the psi shields. I cannot risk Xavier or his X-Men finding the girl before the ritual is complete. It may take hours or days for the transformation to come to fruition, and I will not have them interfering before it is done. They will not have the chance to bring her back again and ruin my plans."

"Yes, My Lord," Mesmero muttered again.

Apocalypse retrieved a small blue stone from within his robes and examined it in his hands. It glowed faintly with light, but it was clearly dimming now and he sighed in exasperation.

"I have exhausted the powers I gained from the girl after my release. I cannot yet defeat the X-Men and their new allies, but once the girl is under my complete control, we will annihilate anyone who dares to stand in my way. Together, my Queen and I will reign in a new era. Only the strongest mutants will survive and all others will be…relieved… of their pitiful existence."

Mesmero nodded again as Apocalypse straightened in his chair.

"But my dreams for the future cannot come to pass until you FIND that GIRL!" he shouted and rose from the chair to tower over Mesmero.

"I have precious little energy left. The chamber only sustains me for a short while and I am vulnerable while I slumber within. My Queen will provide me with the strength of a hundred mutants for a thousand years and once the ritual is complete, I can be rid of that cursed contraption once and for all."

Apocalypse stepped down from his throne gingerly and dismissed Mesmero's silent offering of aide. As he walked out of the throne room, Apocalypse called back to Mesmero and gave the final instructions for the night.

"I will not be invading My Queens dreams tonight – my resources are much too low to be effective against her willpower. I will rest now and try again tomorrow. My guards will search throughout the night, but they will not be of much use in the dark. You, however, will continue your psychic scans for My Queen and her companion – alert me immediately if you find anything."

Mesmero scurried out the door quickly as Apocalypse made his way to the lower levels to rest – if he didn't find the girl soon, it would be his life on the sacrificial alter instead of her companion's!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Nuh!" Rogue grunted heavily in her sleep as her body contorted and flinched away from the nightmare that gripped her in its invisible hand.

She was lying on her side in the cold dirt with Gambit beside her. A low hanging pine tree sheltered them from the brunt of the cold night breeze as they slept fitfully. Their backs were parallel, but not touching, as they shared the limited stretch of Gambit's leather duster – the only real source of protection they had.

Rogue moaned and her hand twitched restlessly at her side, the terror of her nightmares flashing across her pale, sleeping face.

X

She was running again – being chased and haunted by so many eyes, so many faces, that wanted to see her crumble and pay for her crimes against them.

Her world was laced in darkness. There was nothing - no floor, ceiling or walls - to close in on her and restrict her movement, but all around she felt the undetectable weight of those eyes crushing down on her. All those eyes…

All those faces…

One face – blue and evil – loomed high above all the others, its maniacal grin twisting up into a silent yet deafening roar of laughter. Rogue dropped to her knees and covered her ears, coiling in on herself as she cowered before the ghostly image.

She was wearing the same black dress Apocalypse had adorned her with and her hair was still matted and muddy as it curled around her face daintily, oblivious to the tempest churning within Rogue's mind.

The faces loomed around her, swirling in and out in maddening circles as they swooped close and faded out again like malignant ghosts.

They were so angry with her…

"How could you do this to us?" they called in high-pitched shrills like wind upon the cattails. "You betrayed us – you've killed us!"

Their eyes – all those EYES – were glaring at her, staring, accusing and seeking revenge.

"It wasn't mah FAULT!"

Rogue turned her head up toward the dark, empty sky above and shouted at them with her hands still held tightly over her ears. "He MADE meh do it! Ah'm sorry! Ah didn't mean to!"

"But you did!" they shrieked again as the circling and swooping continued. The nightmare ghosts were deaf to her pleas and indifferent to her innocence – they fed on her fear and only grew larger and more bold as they inched closer to the cowering girl.

"Ah didn't MEAN to! Ah didn't WANT to! Please, leave me be!" Tears streaked down Rogue's face as she held her hands to her ears and watched, terrified, as their face circled ever-closer to her.

All those faces…

Round and round they went, swooping and diving, trying to consume her with their hatred and misery.

One lunged at her suddenly and rage contorted his face into a gargoyle's mask, but Rogue knew him by the short, tidy blonde hair and those blue, blue eyes.

Cody.

He was so ANGRY …

Rogue screamed as the ghostly representation of her first victim swept toward her and she threw herself down to lay flat on the floor with her hands over her head as she tried to make herself into as small a target as possible.

Her eyes turned upward into that inky blackness and fell upon the still hovering face of Apocalypse. His eyes burned with an evil that Rogue had never before encountered, and his lecherous smile sent chills down her spine.

"You will be my QUEEN!" he bellowed at last and flew toward her, his mouth gaping wide as he made to swallow her entirely.

She screamed.

X

He didn't know if it was the soft whimper or the insistent shifting that first woke him, but the tears pooling down Rogue's sleeping face immediately jolted Remy LeBeau from his slumber and caused his heart to race with panic.

Had Apocalypse invaded her dreams again? Would he find them?

Turning to Rogue, he propped himself up on one arm and gently tried to shake the girl awake.

"Rogue, _chere_, come on. Come back t' me now. Don't let him do dis t' you."

She remained troublingly unresponsive.

"_Merde_ (crap)," he muttered aloud, "not again." He got to his knees and moved to try and roll her over when she suddenly let out a strangled shriek as her arms jerked subconsciously.

"Rogue!" Remy cried, convinced that Apocalypse was after her again, and he grabbed her shoulder and wrenched her onto her back as she screamed a second time.

Clutching at her ribs, Rogue gasped loudly and sucked in air as she shot upright and Remy heaved a sigh of relief. It must have been a simple nightmare.

Not that this girl's nightmares would be anything near simple, but he supposed it was better than another possession by Apocalypse.

Immediately Remy wrapped the confused, shaking girl in his arms. He nestled her softly in his lap with her legs splayed over one of his knees and her feet dangling helplessly in the air. "Shh now _petite_, y'r alright. S' just a bad dream. Apocalypse ain't here – he ain't gonna get ya."

He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and sat, rocking her gently from side to side as he smoothed down her hair and waited for her to relax. One of her arms was tucked between their two bodies while the other clung tightly to his shoulder as she tried to adjust her breathing.

She was okay. It was just a nightmare and everything was okay now, Rogue told herself over and over as she took deep breaths to slow her racing heart. Remy was with her– he wouldn't let anything happen to her. She was safe with him.

She was safe with Remy...

Taking comfort in the small mantra, Rogue slowly worked her way back to the land of reality as the ghosts and nightmares quietly died away. Once she was satisfied that she was indeed safe in Remy's arms, she quickly realized that she was sitting very comfortably in the Acolyte's lap, snuggled up against his body like a frightened child.

She tried not to cringe.

As Rogue's breathing calmed slightly and her trembling had died down to a light shiver, Remy tried to gauge the girl's mental state. He could tell she was still very upset about the nightmare – as evident by her intermittent sniffles - but he couldn't help wondering if at least some of the tension that still held her body hostage was caused by their close proximity and his hold on her. Even though he didn't want to purposefully make her skittish, Remy knew Rogue HAD to get over her fear of touch if they were going to make any progress with ruining Apocalypse's plans, so he waited until her muscles relaxed a bit before he pulled back to examine her tear-streaked and dirty face.

The sight of her – so impish looking with soil and berry stains smudging her pale complexion, yet beautiful and vulnerable with her eyes shining brightly from the tears – had Remy's breath catching in his throat. The girl noted his intense scrutiny and ducked her head bashfully as her cheeks tinted with pink hues but Remy stubbornly followed her eyes and bent forward slightly to meet her gaze again.

"Ain't nothin' t' be ashamed of Rogue. We all have bad dreams," he stated quietly and moved one hand from her shoulders to gently wipe away the evidence of her nightmares with his thumb.

Rogue's breath hitched again as she watched him brush away her tears and she swallowed hard before licking her lips nervously. She cast her eyes downward again, but Remy's hand trailed her cheek to grasp her chin gently between his thumb and forefinger then he tilted her head back up to meet his eyes.

"Y' know, sometimes it helps t' talk about it…" he suggested quietly, but Rogue just pursed her lips instead and looked away again.

"Yeah, I know," he replied to her silence as he dropped his grip on her chin, "easier said den done, right?"

She nodded, crimson lips still glued together tightly as she stared off into the trees.

With a small sigh, Remy reminded himself not to force her into divulging information to him, but after a moment decided to try and lighten the mood while simultaneously helping her open up to him a little more.

"I had dis nightmare once dat scared d' wits outta me," he started, putting his arm around her shoulders again and drawing her closer, "I was in d' kitchen, cookin' wit' my Tante, when dis fly comes buzzin' round m' head. Only, it ain't just a fly; it be dis giant evil bee with great big horns and a stinger six inches long." He wasn't about to tell her that it also had haunting red and black eyes – a mirror reflection of his own.

Rogue relaxed against him a little more, resting her head on his chest as he spoke, and Remy couldn't help but sneak a peek at her every few moments.

"So it starts chasin' me round and round de kitchen and all t'rough de house an' out into de swamps. Den de gators came out and tried t' eat me, but lucky f'r me, I climb trees real good. 'Course, it didn't help save me from de demon bee, but I was able t' get back inside de house and slam de door on it. Den m' Tante starts in like '_Boy, didn't I tell ya t' stir dat Gumbo right good??'_ An' she's FLAMIN' mad at me an' wavin' around dis big wooden spoon, threatenin' t' beat me t' death wit' it and serve me up as part o' de Gumbo."

Remy felt her chuckle soundlessly against him.

"Thehn wha' happened?" Rogue asked at last, her voice groggy and dry from the combination of sleep and crying. She was a little surprised at the sudden admission of his own nightmares, but the story helped clear away the last of her lingering fears and she finally relaxed completely as she felt herself succumbing to exhaustion again.

"Den I finally woke up," he answered, "Good thing too; I had just enough time to get up and change m' sheets before m' brother woke up." His tone was light and playful, but Remy was secretly very thankful she couldn't see the blush that stained HIS cheeks for a brief moment.

By the time she looked up at him with doubt written across her features, his face was lightened only by his wide signature grin.

"Yer jokin' right? Ah mean ya didn't REALLY wet the bed 'cause a some BEE did you?" Rogue's eyes narrowed at him suspiciously, but he could see the glimmer of belief within their emerald depths. She yawned loudly then and shyly ducked her head again as he chuckled.

"M' not jokin' at all. An' it wasn't de bee dat done scared de piss outta me. M' Tante is downright TERRIFYIN' when she's angry – 'specially when it comes t' her Gumbo!"

A tremor of laughter coursed through her body swiftly as she lounged comfortably against his body and managed to say, "Sounds pretty frightenin" around another yawn.

"T'was," he agreed solemnly.

"Hmm," Rogue sighed as her head drooped on his shoulder. Within a few moments, her breathing became deep and heavy and a small smile formed on Remy's face as he angled his head to get a look at her sleeping face.

She had the tiniest of smiles on her lips as she dozed and Remy was amazed by how much of a difference it made on her pale face. There were flecks of mud and dirt staining her cheeks and forehead and the berry stains were just starting to fade from her chin and lips. Her face was completely devoid of makeup, and now that she had a little more color to her face than that deathly blue-gray from their unexpected dip in the river, Remy was amazed by how incredibly beautiful and serene she looked.

Her cheeks were tinted with the barest amount of pink from the sun and it gave her skin a wonderfully healthy glow. The way she looked now - with the dirt, berry stains and even a light suntan - made her look like a fallen angel and Remy was stunned by the coiling ball of protectiveness that formed in his stomach. He knew he would protect this girl at any cost.

He had to.

There was no rhyme or reason to it really, but he knew it. Just like he knew he would likely die for her, if it came right down to it.

The realization threw him off balance.

Would he REALLY lay his life on the line for some girl? Just because she had a pretty face? Just because she pretended to be so tough and indifferent when she was really just as vulnerable and lost as him?

He couldn't dwell on it tonight. It was late and he was exhausted from the day's events. There had been so many ups and downs that it was impossible to tell which need the most rest – his body, mind or emotions.

Remy let Rogue rest against him until she had slipped into a deep, calm sleep, and he intermittently smoothed her hair back as he tried to sort out the jumble in his head. Finally pushing away the torrent of emotions welling up inside him, Remy carefully hooked his arm under the girl's knees and lifted her off his lap with ease.

She stirred slightly in her sleep and immediately curled up like a little kitten as Remy placed her gently on the ground. He took great care in covering her with his coat – making sure she was swathed from her feet to her shoulders – and left only a portion of the fabric for himself.

As Remy lay down beside her, he repressed the urge to put an arm around her and instead turned his back to hers – casting one last glance at her peacefully sleeping face before fatigue finally claimed him as well.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Psst! Bobby, you awake man?" Ray called quietly to his roommate.

With a heavy sigh, Bobby turned over to face Berserker. "No man, I can't sleep. You?"

"Yeah, me either. I'm too wired," the boy replied as he ran a hand through his messy pseudo-Mohawk.

"Same here," Bobby agreed as he flopped onto his back again and flung a weary hand over his eyes. "I hate to say it, but I could seriously use a Danger Room session right now."

"You said it dude. A hardcore sim with Logan is just what we need."

They both lay there, wishing for some type of divine intervention, when the bedroom door creaked open, revealing a very bedraggled looking Sam Guthrie.

Ray and Bobby both sat upright with identical expressions of curiosity adorning their features.

"Ya'll can't sleep either, huh? Me and Roberto are goin' down to the Danger Room t' let off a little steam. Wanna join us?" The blonde Kentucky native asked with a half-grin.

Within seconds, both boys were out of bed and grabbing their uniforms.

"Oh, ya'll won't need those," Sam warned quickly as he waved a pair of torn jeans. "Just grab some old clothes that ya'll don't mind gettin' ruined."

Ray and Bobby stared quizzically at their teammate, but eventually shrugged before grabbing some old jeans and shirts of their own.

Roberto nodded to the boys as they stepped into the hallway. "Come on, but be QUIET, we don't wanna wake the whole house," Sunfire whispered as they tip-toed down the hall.

As the group passed the commons room a few minutes later, they could see the light of the television flickering against the walls and froze. Bobby winced and stepped forward to see how busted they were.

When he was about to stick his head around the corner, he heard a soft sniffle and his brows furrowed. It didn't sound like one of the girls, but who else would be crying to themselves and watching TV this late at night?

Bobby finally peeked around the corner of the wall and his eyebrows shot up in shock.

"Jamie?" he asked, stepping into the light of the doorway, "What are you doing up? It's two in the morning"

Jamie tried to discretely wipe his eyes and sniffled once more before turning his head to acknowledge the older X-Man quickly.

"Oh, hey Bobby," the young boy said at last, "I'm sorry if I woke you. I couldn't sleep." He pursed his lips nervously before turning back to the silent TV screen.

"Yeah, me neither," Bobby bit his lip hesitantly and turned to look at the other three boys who were still hiding behind the wall. He gestured silently toward Jamie, who was staring at the wall just ABOVE the TV with a blank expression, and the other boys frantically shook their heads 'no.'

Bobby glared at them and mouthed, "come on, guys," to them, but still Ray and Roberto disagreed.

Sam, however, finally took pity on the youngest X-Man and stepped into the doorway with Bobby.

"Hey Jamie," Cannonball started, "we're all goin' down to the Danger Room to mess around for a bit and burn off some energy. Wanna join us?"

Jamie's eyes went wide with disbelief before a big grin broke out on his tear-streaked face.

"Would I!" he shouted.

"SHH!"

"Oops," Jamie apologized quietly, "sorry."

"'S alright little buddy," Sam said as he put his arm around the boys shoulder. Ray and Roberto quickly stood up, waving awkwardly at the new addition.

Soon all five were standing outside the Danger Room and Sam opened a panel in the wall to reveal an array of helmets, masks and small, sleek metal guns in a variety of colors.

"Ah, sweet!" Ray cried as he wrenched a gun off the wall and the other boys shushed him quickly.

"What IS it?" Jamie asked innocently.

Bobby stared at him in shock and horror. "Jamie, haven't you ever been PAINTBALLING before?"

The boy shook his head in the negative and the other four boys spent the next five minutes trying to explain the rules and logistics to the game.

"Oh," Jamie nodded at last, "It's like an FPS with paint!"

"Uh, yeah, sure," Ray agreed as he suited up and placed a belt of extra paintballs around his waist.

Soon they were all geared up with their masks - black with small rectangular slits throughout for air and that looked like a cross between a Darth Vader and Moto-Cross helmet – goggles, gloves and guns. Their guns were all loaded with different colored paintballs and a belt of extra canisters adorned each boy's waist - orange for Ray, yellow for Sam, red for Roberto, blue for Bobby and green for Jamie.

Except for Jamie, they all wore old, torn jeans and various t-shirts with different logos and slogans emblazoned across them, while the youngest boy still sported his blue and green striped PJ's.

"You sure you don't want to change into something else, Jamie?" Bobby asked as he skimmed over the boy's attire. "Those paintballs hurt when you get hit with them."

Jamie just shook his head. "Nah, I think I'll be okay – this is just like my video games."

The other four snickered loudly before Roberto's face lit up with curiosity and fear.

"Hey," he asked with great apprehension, "what about Logan? Won't he catch us down here?"

"Nah," Ray replied, slapping his friend on the back. "I saw Logan and Sabertooth leave together earlier today. I'm pretty sure they won't be back for a LONG time. They probably went to go tear the crap out of each other without freaking the students out."

The boys all nodded in agreement as Sam cocked his gun before listing the rules and objectives. "Alright ya'll," he began, "first rule is NO powers. First round we'll play Capture the Flag, second is just teams and third we'll go free-for-all. If we still want to keep playing after that, we'll just do whatever. Everyone good with that?"

They all nodded eagerly.

"Then let's go!" Sam cried as they broke into a run and headed inside.

The Danger Room had been transformed into a scenic landscape with dense clumps of trees, large and small boulders, ravines, hills, caves, lakes and even a few random pieces like an old junk car, an overturned couch, a boat and a table or two.

The sky above was clear and crisp with the scent of simulated autumn air. It was cool and breezy in order to keep the boys from roasting as they played.

"I'll be Captain for team one; Ray, you wanna be a Captain, too? You've played a lot, right?" Sam asked.

Ray nodded with a large grin as he loaded his gun with orange paintballs.

"Good," Sam continued, "Ah'll take Roberto on mah team, he hasn't played as much, and you can take Bobby and Jamie – that way, it'll level out the experience between the teams." With that, the two groups broke off and headed toward their respective 'camps.' Everyone was deadly serious about the game save Jamie – who was skipping around like an exuberant three-year-old.

X

"MWAHAHAHAH!! I got you Roberto!" Bobby shouted with glee as he popped out of his hiding place amongst a patch of shrubbery. He raised his gun above his head and was doing a little happy dance when a sharp "PFFT" resounded through the air and Bobby doubled over, taking a direct hit to the stomach.

"Oh man!" he whined as he tore his mask off and examined the yellow stain on his white shirt. Just for good measure, he shot off a few of his own paintballs in random directions, trying to tag Cannonball.

"Now, now Drake, be a good sport," Sam called from behind a rock somewhere.

"Man, this blows," Bobby said, lowering his gun and trudging off to join Roberto on the sidelines.

Another "PFFT" sounded from a distance and Bobby yelped.

"HEY!!" he shouted angrily as he turned to check out the newest yellow splotch on his lower back, "That HURT you sucker! I'm gonna get you for that next round!"

"Yeah, yeah," Sam called back, "We'll see 'bout that."

Ray was hiding near the overturned couch as he tried to pinpoint the opposing Captain's position. "That's right Sam," he whispered, "just keep talkin'."

From the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of blonde hair poking out from behind a small rock about 50 yards away and grinned.

While Sam's attention was focused on Bobby, Ray snuck around to the trees and slowly advanced on his distracted rival. When he was about 100 feet away and hidden in the trees, Ray raised his gun and took aim.

Sam crouched behind his rock, quietly laughing at Bobby's outraged expression, when the other boy's eyes darted to the cluster of trees just to the right.

Immediately, Sam threw himself to the side and rolled just as a blast of orange paint splattered the rock face. Vaulting upright, Sam quickly spotted his opponent and fired rapidly, running and darting away from the orange paintballs that barraged the air around him.

Ray rolled in the grass, barely dodging the spray of a dozen yellow paintballs that splattered across the ground and marked the simulated trees behind him with deadly accuracy.

Hiding behind a wide oak, Ray caught his breath for a moment and peeked around the other side, noting that Sam had taken cover behind the old junk car nearby.

The two boys fired one-handed at each other from their respective hiding spots, not daring to expose more of themselves than necessary. They looked like a couple of whack-a-moles as they popped up, fired, and hunkered down again. It went like that for at least four minutes until Ray, finally sick of the redundancy, bolted out from his hiding place at exactly the same moment as Sam. They shot rapidly at each other, running sideways as they held their guns out in front of them.

Ray pulled the trigger so rapidly that the paintballs couldn't fall down the barrel fast enough and the gun jammed unexpectedly.

"What the… OW!!" Ray shouted as he was sprayed across the chest with a multitude of yellow paintballs, which promised to leave a string of welts in their wake.

"Oh MAN!" Bobby shouted from the sidelines as Roberto and Sam whooped with joy at their certainly clinched victory.

They were making so much noise, in fact, that no one noticed little Jamie crouched in the bushes nearby – he'd been TOLD to stay at base and guard the flag, but when Bobby had been tagged, Jamie knew he'd have to get in the game and show his stuff.

"PFFT!"

The sound of a paintball leaving the gun barrel was barely audible with the raucous partying from the opposing team until Sam suddenly grabbed his butt and howled with pain, turning in rapid circles as he tried to get a look at who had shot him.

"Bobby!" Sam cried, pointing his unoccupied index finger at the other X-Man.

Bobby threw his hands up in self-defense, "I didn't do it, I swear!" Next to him, Ray wore a similarly confused and innocent look.

"Well then who…" Sam trailed off as he pulled his hand away from his paint-covered behind to reveal his palm, covered in green.

"JAMIE!?" All four boys cried at once and immediately Sam and Roberto groaned in unison while Ray and Bobby whooped and danced around.

Jamie came out of hiding then and joined the small party, laughing as his team hoisted him up on their shoulders and paraded him around the simulated landscape.

X

Sam searched the tree line for Jamie's distinct blue and green striped PJ's. He'd already tagged Ray, and Roberto and Bobby were in a dead heat against each other – darting around objects and trying to be the first to tag the other person out. Sam, however, had a mission.

He was NOT going to be outsmarted by a sixth grader. No way. God knew he loved the kid, but he'd be damned if he was going to lose this game to Jamie, of all people, who hadn't even known what paintball WAS until today.

Sam Guthrie smirked as he spotted the pattern he'd been searching for – the kid was making this too easy. The boy was crouched down in a patch of yellow weeds and his multi-colored PJ's stuck out like a sore thumb.

Cannonball raised his gun and squeezed the trigger when …

"SPLAT!"

The sudden onslaught of green paint to his goggles startled Sam so badly that he landed abruptly on his behind and fired off a few paintballs by accident.

"JAMIE!!" Sam yelled, furious that he had been outsmarted yet again.

The young boy snickered from somewhere in the trees. "Boy Sam, I'd have thought you'd see that one coming from a mile away. Who knew you'd be the one to fall for the old fake out method?"

Sam wrenched his paint-covered mask from his face and glared up at the boy who was perched in the tree directly above him, completely shirtless. The southerner tried to be angry at his rival, but couldn't manage it for very long.

A bemused grin broke out on his face.

"Video games huh?" Sam asked and Jamie smiled broadly as he hopped down from the tree.

"Yep. That and I used to play Laser Tag, Nerf and Water Wars like an addict. I've gotten pretty good at the FPS stuff. It's just too bad our real enemies don't tag out with a couple of paintballs…"

Sam shook his head and laughed as he ruffled the young boy's hair. Duel howls of pain and outrage could be heard in the distance and the southerner shook his head.

"Looks like you win again, kiddo. Next round, you're all mine though."

"We'll see about that, Sam," Jamie teased as he fell into step alongside the older boy.

X

"Son of a …!" Ray yelled aloud as he threw his gun down and examined his now green-painted shirt. "You've gotta be kidding me! I thought he's never played paintball before?!"

Sam was hiding behind a rock as he tried to pick out the little sniper. It was technically a free-for-all at this point, but Jamie was steadily beating the others into submission. He had already tagged Roberto, and Sam could only presume that Jamie was messing with the rest of them as their hiding spots would suddenly be littered with paintballs without actually touching any of the boys.

Sam shook his head as he tried to hold back his ire. "He HASN'T," he replied to Ray, who was still examining his ruined shirt. Suddenly, a green paintball tagged a piece of rock not two inches from his nose.

Now the kid was just showing off.

He heard boyish laughter echo from the trees and jumped over to the other side of the rock for cover. "Bobby I need backup!" He yelled loudly as he searched frantically for Jamie's PJ's – which happened to blend in VERY well with the simulated foliage.

Bobby darted over from his own rock to hide with Sam and the two stooped down to formulate a battle plan. While they were whispering to themselves and trying to figure out the best way to bring Jamie down, the boy in question was slowly sneaking up to their hiding spot.

"Okay, so really, we just need to corner him and you can hit him from in front while I get him from behind." Bobby stated confidently.

"Yeah, but there's jus' one problem… We gotta FIND him first!"

"Find who?" Jamie asked as he grinned down at them from atop the boulder they were hiding behind.

"AH!"

Both boys fell backwards and scrambled for their guns, bolting up from their crouched positions quickly as Jamie dropped from the rock to stand between them. The boy didn't even reach for his gun as he watched Sam and Bobby take aim and fire at him almost simultaneously.

Jamie dove to the ground as the boys grasped their triggers and instead of hitting their intended target, Sam and Bobby were stunned to find themselves blasted by each other's gun.

They stood staring at each other and the new paint splotches while Jamie lounged somewhat nervously on the ground – his gun cocked and ready to fire back in self-defense if necessary.

As they stared, a smile slowly broke out on Sam's face, which rapidly turned into a large grin before morphing into howls of laughter. Soon all five boys were joining in and holding their sides as they realized the ridiculousness of it all.

Bobby and Sam each extended a hand to Jamie, who slung his gun over his shoulder and accepted the assistance graciously, smiling all the while.

The four older boys all clapped the young X-Man on the back and gave him resounding praises for a job well done.

"Anyone want to go again?" Jamie asked with a grin.

X

As they all walked back to their rooms together – each covered in various colors of paint EXCEPT for Jamie, whose PJ's were miraculously still clean if only a little rumpled – the boys all wore small, tired smiles as they momentarily allowed themselves to forget the atrocities that had occurred within the last few days and just be boys.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Remy awoke to the sound of birds singing loudly overhead and groaned. He'd had such a pleasant dream of being in his own bed back home and he hated waking up to find himself cold and cramped on the forest floor.

As the last remnants of the dream dissipated in the cool morning air, Remy struggled to remember what about the dream had been so pleasantly soothing. His face screwed up as he recalled the giant four poster bed, red and black silk sheets, and a woman. She was beautiful, but her face, her features, even the color of her hair were gone now and he wished he could remember so he could sink back into the blissfully happy dream and pretend this reality wasn't.

Convinced that the dream girl was gone for good, Remy forced himself to sit up. His back and neck were incredibly stiff and sore from sleeping on the hard ground and he rolled his neck a few times to pop out the kinks.

As he stretched his arms above his head, a soft moan roused him from his ruminations on the dream and he looked over to see Rogue shivering lightly with a small frown on her face. Remy scooted closer to the girl - who was still curled up in a ball, but looking much less peaceful than she had last night - and readjusted his coat to cover her better. He smoothed the material over her bare arms and rubbed them lightly to create more warmth for her.

She looked so small and vulnerable like this – no makeup, no hardcore leather uniform, no protection or weapon of any kind – and Remy smiled ruefully. No wonder she acted and dressed the way she did. She was probably terrified to let anyone see her softer side. She wouldn't want people to look at her like he was right now and think she was weak or helpless.

Like him, she had erected a wall around her body and her heart to keep people from seeing her true self. Only difference was, he hid his insecurities and doubts behind a façade of humor, arrogance and flirtatiousness instead of icy glares, a bad attitude and dark clothing.

They were so much alike, he and she. They had both been used and betrayed, had both joined the "bad guys" for lack of a better option and both had felt the crushing pressure caused by the weight of their powers. They were survivors, outcasts, drifters. They would do what was necessary to get by, even if it meant losing themselves to do so. Neither of them truly belonged with anyone - too honorable to intentionally harm someone irreparably, but not so naïve as to blindly accept the promise of a brighter future.

They would both feel out of place, unaccepted by those around them, regardless of where they went or who they followed. She was a mutant vampire - unable to touch, to feel, to love without the risk of harming those she cared for – and he was a thief, a scoundrel, a … murderer.

He swallowed hard.

He would never find peace at a place like Xavier's. There were too many skeletons in his closet for him to even hope of something so impossible, no matter how nice it would be to finally find a place where he could belong.

And yet, he did hope for it. In his deepest, most secret thoughts he wanted to belong, to do something GOOD for once in his life. And who knew, maybe this girl - this Rogue – would be his way of finding redemption.

If he could save her, he might have a chance to become the man he'd always wanted to be – the man who rescued beautiful women instead of taking them to bed and then leaving them; the man who fought for the greater good of all mankind instead of just his own skin; the man who valued his morals and beliefs above his own life.

A hero and not a villain…

Remy brushed a lock of dirty white hair from Rogue's face gingerly. This girl could have made the same mistakes as him - used bitterness as an excuse for bad behavior and worse decisions – but she hadn't. She had faced betrayal and abuse like a true hero, yet still stood strong and resolved despite the hardships she encountered.

But he saw the signs. He knew first-hand that a person could only play the unbreakable, infallible hero for so long before the armor started to crack…

… and her skin was starting to show behind all those walls she'd erected.

It wouldn't be long before she fell apart completely or succumbed to the darker side of her nature. There were really only three ways to go when you finally lost yourself –you bottom out, drink and party away your sorrows and bad memories until you become only a shadow of your former self.

Or, you leave your old life behind, venturing out for some new sensation to make you feel alive again. Unfortunately, that sensation usually comes from the darker side of your nature and you find yourself betraying everything you believed in just so you can find some peace and try to recapture whatever it was you lost in the first place.

Finally, there was the last option of succumbing to the utter hopelessness that occurs when everything you've ever known and believed about yourself comes crashing down around you. When there are no more walls or armor to hide behind and all you're left with is the barren shell of what you once were, you start to feel like there's only one way out. He'd stood at that threshold more than once in his life and thankfully, whatever Powers That Be had seen fit to pull him back from that edge. The difficulty was that he'd only traded one problem for another.

Looking back on his past, Remy sighed as he thought that maybe he, like so many of his ghosts, would have been better off if he'd just taken that final step and ended it all. But, the concept of spending the rest of eternity burning away for his sins was far more frightening to him than any cause of death. His ghosts haunted him enough as it was – he didn't need them hovering around his head and screaming at him until the end of time, too.

So perhaps she was his ticket out of the hellish nightmare he currently called a life. While she was still trying valiantly to play the hero, he had given up long ago. If he could save her, maybe even help her find herself along the way, he might have a chance at true peace someday.

Reaching over, he brushed her hair back from her face again and sighed, a rueful smile flitting across his lips.

She hadn't broken yet, hadn't lost herself completely like he had, and maybe he could help her reclaim what she'd lost before it consumed her. The thought of this girl, this beautiful, strong, courageous, intelligent, witty and sassy young woman succumbing to the hopelessness and losing everything that made her so unique was nearly heartbreaking.

He swallowed a lump in his throat.

He couldn't let that happen. He WOULDN'T. He would save her from Apocalypse and then save her from herself, perhaps even do both at once. They had three days before the new moon and if he could get Rogue to open up to him during that time, he might be able to help her tear down some of those walls without losing herself along the way.

He offered a small smile to her sleeping face. Whether she liked it or not, she'd have someone watching out for her from now on. A living guardian angel to help her through the rough patches in life and be there for her when her walls and armor finally came crashing down.

Only he would be a real angel for her - not a devil in disguise like the one that had "rescued" him from the edge of a bridge one cold winter's night. No, he would not let another devil sink its hands into this girl. He wouldn't let her lose herself, not like he had.

He would play her hero for now – until she was strong enough to be her own again.

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"Logan!" Scott barked from the top of the stairs as the older man dragged himself through the front doors. He was covered in blood, half drunk (which was fading far too quickly) and still very much on edge despite spending the last … how many hours now?... drinking heavily and beating the snot out of Sabertooth.

He was too tired to argue with Scooter right now. All he wanted was to shower and fall into the peaceful oblivion of sleep for a few hours. Preferably without the nightmares for once…

"Logan, it's only 6:30 in the morning an you already look like shit. What the hell have you been doing?" Scott asked as he descended the staircase with a very angry look on his features.

"I could say the same thing to you Slim," Logan returned with a cocky grin as he tried to brush past the boy.

Scott grabbed Logan's arm roughly, silently forbidding him from leaving.

"Watch it bub," Wolverine growled, "'cause unless you're lookin' for a haircut, I wouldn't do that."

Scott stared the older man down for a moment or two before begrudgingly removing his hand.

"Look, I'm sorry, but Jesus Logan, we're dealing with a crisis and you're off getting into bar fights! We could use you around here and you're nowhere to be found! No one expects you to be the responsible adult or anything, but you can at least TRY to be around when times get tough."

"You're REALLY looking for a fight aren't you?"

Scott pinched the bridge of his nose and heaved a labored sigh. "I just… This is an extremely difficult situation for everyone Logan. I know how much you cared for Rogue, so did I, but right now, we need you – the students need you. How are they supposed to deal with this if we can't?"

"Well, at least you included yourself there, Slim. I was about to recite the old axiom about the pot and the kettle…" Logan interjected with a tired smirk. He ran his hand through his dirty hair and rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm no good with grief and B.S. like that. The Prof knows it, the kids know it and you know it. Chuck suggested I get outta here before I cause the kids 'unnecessary anxiety' or some crap like that."

"Yeah, I know," Scott replied as he sighed again and pulled at his own hair. "I just… God, Logan I feel so HELPLESS. I want to do something productive to bring that bastard down for what he did to Rogue, but the Professor can't even find him. Kitty's been on the web non-stop for the last day trying to find anything she can on Apocalypse.

"Kurt won't come out of his room or talk to anyone. The Professor's locked himself in his study; Beast and Storm are killing themselves trying to figure out where Apocalypse could be hiding or what the hell even HAPPENED in Tibet. I'm… not dealing very well – that's obvious to everyone – and Jean… I don't know WHAT'S going on with Jean."

Scott deflated at last, staring dejectedly at the floor before continuing.

"It feels like you're the only one around here that can make things seem normal again and I think that's what everyone needs right now. A bit of normalcy… Something that at least FEELS like it might be helping.

"We screwed up Logan. We screwed up big time and Rogue's DEAD because of it. We need to do whatever we can to make sure that the next time we come up against this guy is the last. I won't lose someone I love to that madman again."

"I know how you feel Cyke, but …" Logan started, trying unsuccessfully to comfort the young man.

"Do you Logan?" Scott asked, "Do you REALLY? I'm the reason Rogue came here in the first place. She joined the X-Men because I wanted her to – because I wouldn't give up. She saved my life – from Mystique and the Juggernaut – and she saved Jean's, too."

Scott pulled on his hair again and sat on the stairs, his head falling into his hands.

"We had something Logan," he began again, finally looking up at the older man. "I don't know what it was, but Rogue and I had a … connection. It's not like with Jean. I love Jean. I'm IN love with Jean. But … I love Rogue too."

X

Jean was heading down the hall searching for Scott – he'd been avoiding her all day – when she heard him shouting at Logan. She was about to intervene, almost reaching the landing, when she overheard them talking about Rogue.

She almost felt guilty, spying on her boyfriend like this, but he wouldn't talk to her and she wanted to find out what exactly was ailing him. She didn't understand why he was avoiding her like this, and if being sneaky was the only way to find out then so be it.

Not that it made her feel any better, but at least she'd have some answers.

"…and Jean," the red-head overheard her boyfriend confess, "I don't know WHAT'S going on with Jean."

The girl in question frowned.

Was she really so closed off that he couldn't see what was going on with her? Sure, the girls wouldn't realize the truth, but Scott? They had a something special. They were always on the same playing field – always knew what was on the other's mind – but now… It seemed like they'd never been farther apart.

They were just… trying to deal. That had to be the problem. Neither of them had really lost someone so close to them before. Well, Scott had, but he had been so young when he lost his parents and hadn't even really remembered the incident until Xavier had helped him recover his memories.

Rogue was different though. Rogue was a friend, a teammate, a …

"But I love Rogue too," she heard Scott admit from the foyer.

With a silent gasp, Jean clasped her hands over her mouth to contain the sob that was welling up in her throat.

A secret love? THAT'S what Rogue was to him?! How had she not known? She was a telepath for Heaven's sake!

The tears pooled in Jean's eyes so quickly that she could hardly see and, not wanting to hear more about her EX-Boyfriend's love for Rogue, she levitated from the floor and flew down the hall to her room.

X

Logan stared down at the boy quizzically, concern evident on his brow. "Are you… are you IN LOVE with Rogue?"

Scott stared off into space for a moment, trying to sort out his feelings.

"Jesus Scott, that's… What about Jeannie?"

The boy scrubbed his face with his hands. "I don't… I don't think I'm IN LOVE with Rogue," he conceded at last. "I just... I love her Logan. She's so withdrawn from everyone that only those of us who are really special to her ever get to see the other side of her - the part she hides from everyone else. She's started to tell me stuff before, to confide in me, but… I was so wrapped up in Jean that I didn't even notice."

Scott sighed, frustrated, and jumped off the stairs again, too antsy to sit still.

"Rogue was my first recruit – I've always felt responsible for her because I was vital in getting her here. She only trusted me at first. She wouldn't really talk to anyone else. Once Jean and I started dating – right around the same time Rogue's powers went nuts – she just … closed off to me. I still don't know why exactly. Jean thought it was because she was jealous of the physical contact we were displaying, so I tried to tone it down around Rogue, but it didn't help. She still avoided me.

"God, Logan. I never knew how much it bothered me until now. When the Professor told us she … I … I started to realize that she was more than just a friend or a teammate, but she's not… I'm not in love with her, but … I'll be damned if I can figure out what she is to me."

Logan stared at the boy, who was facing the wall with his fingers locked behind his head, and finally said, "Huh."

Scott turned. "That's all you've got to say? Huh."

Logan stepped closer to the flustered young man and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Look Scott, I'm no shrink – that's what Betsy's here for – and I'm not going to try and help you sort out your emotions for Rogue when I can barely deal with mine. But, I DO know how you feel.

"Yeah, Rogue was like a daughter to me, but she was so much more than that too. I respected Rogue. Hell, I ADMIRED her. On a daily basis she dealt with shit that would send most people to a crazy house. She didn't have the best way of dealing with it, but she dealt. And, she never ONCE pawned her problems off on other people. She didn't whine and complain about it to anyone. She moped more than most, but she never wanted any sympathy or pity.

"She was strong and resilient and tough as nails," he continued. "That's not something you see in most girls her age. It's not something you see in most people, period. Rogue was special– life handed her a lot of rough deals and she still made the most of it. Maybe you're just feeling the same thing as me -pride, admiration, affection, love, whatever. Fact is, Rogue WAS more than a friend or teammate. She was… Rogue."

Scott's throat swelled up and he nodded once. Clenching his jaw to hold back the tears, he noted that Logan appeared to be doing the same. Both men's eyes were misty as they shared the silent moment of reverence for their lost friend.

Taking a deep breath, Logan finally released Scott's shoulder and turned briskly toward the elevator.

"I don't know about you, but I'm still in the mood to tear something apart. If you wanna wait on that heart-to-heart with Betsy, you're welcome t' join me in the Danger Room – IF you can keep up."

Scott grinned, watery but genuine.

"You're on."

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Sorry for the shortness. I had ALMOST another 10 pages here from two unfinished scenes, but decided to cut it out for now so I could post this while I still have an internet connection.

I'm up in the air about this chapter. It was much deeper and more philosophical than I originally intended, but somehow, it feels like it works.

I'd love to get some feedback from readers. What did you like? What didn't you like? Am I being too mean to Jean? What would you like to see more of (Yes, next chapter will feature a ton of Kitty/Piotr/Lance triangle stuff)?

Thanks to everyone who's been trying so hard to help me reach my goal of 500 reviews. I really appreciate it!

Love & Light,

Wiccamage

**P.S. – The next chapter MAY have M-rated scenes. It depends on how far I get.**


	17. Chapter 17: How Things Change

This chapter will be cut into two different versions. For those of you following the "M" rating, there will be some significant variations to follow. It will come during the last few chapters with the hot springs. Trust me, you'll know when… Anyone following the "T" rating will see enough bits and pieces to know what's going on, but without the hairy details. However, the very nature of the later scenes are generally sexual in nature, so there will be quite a few gaps. Hopefully it will all still make sense though.

Also, I wanted to thank everyone for all the great supportive comments. I believe everything happens for a reason, and I think I've finally found the right path. I'm pretty sure I know where I'm supposed to go with my life and what I'm supposed to be doing. There are quite a few little "coincidences" that are all lining up to point me towards being a … teacher. Yeah, I know, but I feel like this is right. I'm trying to get a job at a private school in my area and I've already done the first interview, qualification testing and teaching interview. Now I'm just waiting for the phone call telling me that I've got the job (hopefully).

Scratch that last one. Part of the "Getting Warmer" jinx. I got the job, then lost it again within a few months for a really lame reason. One that I'm still not sure is perfectly legal… Anyhow, I found an even better job and have no reason to believe that it is now, nor ever will be, in jeopardy.

I wish everyone the best and thanks again for all the support. Hope you enjoy this chapter – it should be a long one!

After note: **Anything marked with an (S) after it was directly inspired by Sassy18's influence and ideas. Captain Cueball, the rabid Wolverine, etc. So thanks go out to her for all those jeweled bits. Sorry I didn't put it in earlier. I was so pressed to just POST the darn thing I forgot to do my shout-outs.**

Thanks also go to everyone who reviews/reviewed!! You guys are awesome.

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"Hey, you up yet?" Remy asked from where he lay on the forest floor. He was on his back again after switching positions all night – utterly unable to find a comfortable way to sleep on the cold, hard ground.

"Rrrmmm…" Rogue half growled and half hummed as she elbowed him roughly in the side and rolled onto her own, burying her face deeper into the crook of her arm.

Remy sighed as he laced his hands behind his head and stared up at the early morning sky. The sun had been up for a while now, but the young man had decided it was better to get a bit more sleep before they started another laborious trek through the woods.

Rogue needed all the rest she could get and he wasn't going to refuse her an extra few minutes of shut-eye.

Remy bit back a groan. It had to be at least… seven-thirty, maybe eight a.m. now and they really needed to start moving again. He despised mornings on ANY day of the week, but throw in the fact that he was stiff, cold, hungry and smelled like week-old garbage and he REALLY hated this particular morning…

With a huge yawn, he finally sat up and stretched his arms above his head before reaching over to shake Rogue's shoulder.

"Come on _chere_; time t' get up now," he coaxed.

"Five more minutes Kit," she mumbled as she tugged Remy's coat over her exposed shoulder.

"Sorry _petite, _it don' work dat way out here. We gotta get movin' 'fore dose goons find us." With a barely contained sigh of frustration, Remy pushed himself up off the ground and extended his arms again. He rolled his head around on his neck and smiled at the satisfying series of 'pops' that emanated from his neck. Just like a professional runner, he continued through the motions as he stretched out each limb and joint until he was convinced he could finally start walking again.

The same could not be said for Rogue, who was still curled up in a ball on the moss-covered ground.

Remy toed the back of her thigh lightly. "Rise an' shine sleepy head," he sing-songed to her with a quirky grin.

In response Rogue groaned, lifting her hand and one finger to express her aggravation with him for waking her up so early. "Go away, ah don't wan' any," she grumbled and pulled the coat over her head to block out the sun.

Remy chuckled. It seemed she detested mornings even more than he did.

Abruptly, he reached down and pulled the coat off her completely to toss it over his shoulder. "Ya want me t' carry ya?"

Rogue rolled over and sat up immediately, glaring at him with a mixed look of disgust and disbelief.

He laughed.

Her expression perfectly matched his when, on those rare and horrifying occasions, he woke up with a mind-numbing hangover and a less-than-attractive woman beside him.

"What?" she barked as she tried to finger-comb her hair. "You don't look too hot yourself right now."

"That's not … I wasn't laughin' at YOU petite, just de way you were lookin' at me. Reminded me o' somethin," he apologized and reached down to help her up.

Instantly, she drew back from him, flinching away from his exposed hand. For a moment, she'd forgotten that her powers were missing and instinctively reverted back to her fear of being touched.

Shaking his head, Remy continued to hold out his hand for her and waited, but she sniffed instead and hoisted herself up on her own, stepping well out of range of his bare fingers. Remy sighed as Rogue straightened and took another step away from him. Frustrated, he immediately advanced on her and snatched her wrist, pulling her toward him abruptly and eliciting a gasp from her chapped lips.

For Rogue, the two were standing uncomfortably close - their noses were almost touching and she could yet again feel his breath caressing her face.

Ugh.

He had HORRIBLE morning breath. Of course, she probably did too; she would kill for a toothbrush right about now. Hell, she'd kill for anything even remotely civilized right now.

"Now listen here _chere_," Remy scolded as he held her close, ending her train of thought. "Y' gotta stop dis nonsense wit' not touchin'. I thought we talked about dis already."

Rogue tried to pull herself out of his grasp, but Remy held tight to her wrist. "Whatever," she rounded on him, "Ah just don't like bein' touched."

"Well get over it den," he replied simply, still latched to her.

"Maybe it's just YOU I don't like!" Rogue tried again to pull herself free again, but Remy grabbed her other wrist instead.

"Let go of me!" she yelled, spitting venomous curses as she struggled against him.

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"YES!"

"NO!!!!"

In the canopy of pine and fir trees surrounding them, the birds suddenly ceased their songs as the woods went eerily quiet. The only other sound was the soft whisper of wind through the surrounding trees and the reverberating echo of Remy's bellow.

Rogue swallowed hard as she tried to stare him down, but the defiant glare in her eyes was overshadowed by the wideness of them.

Noting the complexity of her gaze, Remy dropped Rogue's wrists at last and took a step back, running a hand through his hair irritably.

"I'm sorry _chere_, I didn't mean t' lose m' temper like dat. S' just, dang it Rogue, y' gotta HELP m' here. I can't MAKE you do dis, but y' gotta at least TRY if y' wanna stop Apocalypse!"

"Ah AM tryin'!" she yelled at him, taking a few steps back from the Acolyte. "Do ya think this is EASY fer me?! I've spent most of mah whole LIFE flinchin' away from people. First with that phony skin condition, then when mah powers came along… Shit Gambit, you're tryin' to get me to reprogram everything I am - everything ah've been and known for the last thirteen years - in just a few days!!"

Rogue felt her throat swell as her face burned hot and her eyes blurred, and she turned swiftly away from her traveling companion. The last thing she wanted was for him to see her cry. It was bad enough he had to see her like this at all – dressed up like a doll in what barely passed for clothes, no makeup, no uniform, no anything to provide that necessary barrier between herself and the outside world.

She was utterly and completely vulnerable in front of this man and she hated him for it.

As hot tears dripped down Rogue's cheeks, she bit her lip harshly for betraying her normally cool exterior. Struggling not to sniffle or give away her emotions, Rogue swiped angrily at the tears that coursed down her face and turned her gaze upward toward the morning sky as she took a deep, calming breath.

"Look," she continued when she thought she had herself back under control, "Ah know you're tryin' t' help me and ah appreciate that, but there's only so much ah can take – only so much ah can do – before it's just hopeless. Maybe all this is for nothin'. Maybe there ain't no use in even tryin'. Ah can't change who ah am, Gambit. Ya might as well just hand me the knife now so ah can save the world and be done with it all before it's too late."

Suddenly, Remy was right behind her, grabbing her by the arm roughly to spin her around to face him. She was startled by the angry, almost ruthless look in his flashing red eyes and a barely audible gasp grazed her lips.

"Don't you EVER say anyt'ing like dat again, ya understand!? Ya ain't givin' up dat easily Rogue," Remy raved at her harshly.

"You're better den dat!! De Rogue I heard Magneto talk of would never just hand in de towel. You're not some weak, pathetic thing that cries and talks of death as a way out. You're ROGUE! You get pissed and curse, and you fight as hard as you can all de way t' de end. And **dis**," he gestured to the quiet woods around them as his voice calmed and dropped, "dis surely ain't de end _chere_; so I don't wanna hear none of it outta you, _comprends_?" (understand)

Rogue dropped her eyes a bit, staring directly across at Remy's chin and quickly growing stubble. For a brief moment, she considered what the little hairs would feel like against her fingers. She'd heard it was course and prickly and she'd felt it, second-hand, through other people's memories, but she'd never actually smoothed her own fingers across such enticing facial hair, and she actually had to restrain herself from reaching out to touch him.

Her fingers twitched unexpectedly, as if they were trying to move on their own, and Rogue balled her fists, setting her jaw stubbornly as she tried to focus on the situation at hand.

He was right, of course. She WAS better than this. She was Rogue! She didn't CRY! She hadn't cried since she'd first developed her powers (at least not in front of other people – except that once…or twice…), and she couldn't start such an awful habit now.

What was WRONG with her anyhow? Why on earth was she crying in front of him? She should be handling this like an X-Man, not some weepy teenager! If it came right down to it and they couldn't defeat Apocalypse, she knew what she would have to do. Despite what Remy said, she knew he would be considering the same options if he were in her place.

The bigger concern to her at the moment, however, was the fact that she couldn't control her own emotions in front of this Acolyte. If she were traveling with Scott, Logan or any of the X-Men, she KNEW she wouldn't be this emotional. Likewise, she doubted she'd have the same problem with any other Acolyte either. Granted, she would be a lot more edgy if she were with Magneto or Sabertooth, but… Okay, if she were with Magneto or Sabertooth, she'd probably already be dead, so that was a moot point... Still, it bothered her that Gambit was able to get under her skin so easily. She had no idea why she couldn't just keep her cool; she was constantly blushing, crying or puking in front of him and it was driving her batty!

She couldn't just be bitchy and ignore him because of Apocalypse's plan – she HAD to be conversational and try to open up a bit, but she didn't have to be so emotional either. Why couldn't she just answer his questions honestly and politely and not be so … ugh.

Rogue continued to stare straight ahead at Remy's chin, unspeaking, as she attempted to sort out her thoughts. Setting her jaw stubbornly, she tried to reign in her emotions and get herself under control. Thankfully, the Acolyte was content to just let her have her space for once and made no move to advance on her or try to touch her again. It made thinking a LOT easier when he wasn't touching her.

Only problem was that she was now having trouble thinking while staring at Remy's goatee. It was practically begging to be touched now, and her fingernails were starting to leave imprints on her still-balled fists. She didn't know how much longer she could keep herself from just reaching out and touching him.

In the past, she'd confronted and quickly crushed similar urges, but she'd always had a good reason not to give in to them; she wasn't particularly thrilled about having another psyche stuck in her head, and didn't think anyone would appreciate being put into a coma – however short-lived it might be.

As she sat staring at Remy's chin, however, she realized that there was no longer the threat of coma or absorption and thus, she had no real reason NOT to touch him.

Other than the sheer embarrassment of actually doing such a thing of course!

He'd think she was nuts if she suddenly started stroking his face like some deranged psychopath, and she had already faced her share of mortification on this trip, so she firmly clamped down on her inner urges and emotions and tried again to meet his eyes – his intoxicating, entrancing eyes…

Rogue shook her head rigorously.

_Dear GOD what is WRONG with me?!?!?!_ She HAD to stop thinking like this. The lack of powers must be wreaking havoc on her hormones…

The Southerner closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath before opening them again. She had to be absolutely certain that her body wouldn't betray her before she looked at Gambit.

Yes, good. Maybe if she started calling him Gambit again, she wouldn't be nearly as affected by him. She felt a little more confident this time and trusted herself to speak once again.

"Alright, fahne, you win. Ah'm not gonna throw in the towel as long as we don't get caught," she said at last, finding that, disturbingly, Gambit had not taken his eyes off her.

"BUT," she held up a hand to silence his oncoming protest, "if he DOES find me before the new moon, all bets are off. Ah'm not gonna risk the entire world being decimated because of me. And, ah am definitely NOT gonna be his damn puppet, or queen, **or sex toy,** or whatever for the rest of eternity, ya got me?"

Rogue tried to appear as calm, collected and firm as possible. Remy HAD to understand where she was coming from. There was no way she'd risk millions of lives just to save her own skin. She wasn't worth that; no one was. The X-Men were all about the good of humanity, and if that meant she'd have to sacrifice herself to save countless others, then that's just what she would do.

X

Remy pondered her proposal for a moment… He had to admit she was right.

If it came right down to it, and he couldn't save her from Apocalypse, the most logical alternative would be death. He himself would have rather jumped off a bridge than become a slave, but he couldn't change his past now. All he could do was try to make up for his own sins before he died.

Rogue, on the other hand, was an innocent; she had never committed the same horrors he had. And, when it came to self-sacrifice, he had to believe that whatever God was out there would not forsake her soul if she took her life to save others.

He swallowed hard and nodded slowly.

"Okay," he said at last, "but I don't wanna hear no more of dat kinda talk unless we be starin' dem right in de eye, _d'accord_?"

Rogue nodded silently in agreement.

"_Bien_ (good), den we best start movin' again. We don't wanna give 'em any chance t' catch up."

Again, Rogue nodded and with a last look around their impromptu 'camp site' they began another day's journey.

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It was around nine in the morning when Kitty was roused from her half-sleeping, half-waking state by a knock on her bedroom door. Bleary-eyed, she sat up slightly in her chair and turned her head to the source of the noise.

She stared at the wooden fixture for a while, trying to figure out what she was supposed to be doing, when another soft knock echoed through it.

Oh yeah.

"Come in," she called at last as her brain finally caught up with her senses.

She'd expected to see the boy with a mess of brown, mullet-cut hair peek through her door, so when the Acolyte, Piotr, smiled at her instead, she was somewhat shocked.

"Oh!" Kitty exclaimed, still only half awake, "Pete! What's up?"

As Piotr stepped gingerly into the bedroom, he immediately noticed two things. First was that the girl's room was very… pink. Her untouched bed was splashed with pink flowers and light blue paisleys. The fuzzy round rug in front of her bed was bright pink – nearly fluorescent even. There was a neon pink lamp on the simple white wooden desk, which was also adorned with pink roses, and the cushy leather office chair on which Kitty sat was pale pink as well. The room was decorated with dozens of stuffed animals and posters of various pop stars hung from the walls on her side.

The second thing he noticed was that Kitty had obviously not slept at all that night and probably not well since Rogue had been taken. The girl's hair was limp with random locks pulled out of her ponytail and hanging haphazardly around her face and neck. She was still wearing her clothes from yesterday - a light blue tank top and a pair of tan capri's complete with fuzzy pink bunny slippers.

There were dark circles under her eyes and she was apparently having a hard time focusing and keeping her eyes open. She was blinking at him rather rapidly and, if it weren't for the blank expression on her face, he would swear she was trying to bat her eyelashes flirtatiously. Either that, or her eyelids were having seizures…

"I, uh," Piotr started, taken back by the valley girl's uncharacteristic demeanor, "I wished to know if I could be of assistance."

After another few moments of Kitty blinking stupidly at him, he took another step closer. His brows furrowed together in concern as he noted the way she was staring at him – as if she were trying to figure out how or when he had come into her room.

"Katya?" he asked, taking another careful step, "are you all right? You do not seem well." Slowly, he bent down to put a hand on her petite shoulder and noticed that she was incredibly diminutive – even when he was not armored up.

The warmth of Piotr's hand on her shoulder finally snapped Kitty out of her sleep-deprived stupor.

"Huh? Oh, sorry Pete," she apologized, ducking her head as she blushed, "I guess I just zoned out for a minute there. I've been staring at this computer screen so long I can hardly see straight."

"May I be of assistance?" he asked. He was still crouched beside her pink chair with his hand on her arm and neither of them seemed to notice or care about the proximity.

"Wha..? Oh, um, actually, I'm just Googling everything I can think of that might be of some use. Something to, like, help us figure out how to stop Apocalypse, you know?" The girl half-smiled at him, but her eyelids were drooping so badly it was hardly noticeable.

Piotr finally removed his hand and stood slowly, staring down at the small screen of the laptop. "May I take over for you so you may rest your eyes? I have much experience vith 'surfing the web' – I use Google frequently vhen researching things myself."

Kitty frowned slightly, not liking the idea of leaving her search in the hands of someone who might be less capable with a computer. If he missed something…

"I don't… I don't know Piotr. If you accidently skim over a page that could be important, it might ruin our chances at figuring out how to stop Apocalypse."

"Then I shall read every page," he replied seriously.

Kitty snorted. "Pete, that's totally sweet of you, but there's, like, over 23 MILLION pages that mention 'Apocalypse.' I don't think either of us could go through all those within our lifetime, let alone a few hours. I think… I think I'd better keep doing it. It would probably be best if I keep doing it."

She bit her lip as he hung his head slightly and nodded quietly. She didn't want be rude or anything, but everyone knew she was a total control freak as it was. She couldn't just trust an Acolyte to work on something this important.

"I understand, Katya," he replied in a low voice. "Iz there anything else I may do for you instead?"

Kitty smiled softly. Darn but this guy was persistent. Sweet, but persistent. Biting her lower lip, she tried to think of something he could do to help. Well, something he could do that she wouldn't have to control.

Her face brightened. "I would LOVE something to eat! I, like, don't thing I've had anything since the sandwich Lance brought me last night." Her nose scrunched up at the memory of the sad little snack.

She loved Lance to death, but the boy just couldn't cook! (*)

"And, food vould be helpful for you?" Piotr asked, not entirely certain she wasn't just trying to get rid of him.

Kitty's stomach responded before she could, and it rumbled loudly enough for the Acolyte to hear very well. She laughed a bit as he smiled at her.

"Oh yeah, food would be a BIG help."

"Vhat vould you like?"

"Honestly, it doesn't even matter as long as it's Kosher. You could bring me cereal and I'd be your best friend."

With a smile, Piotr nodded once and retreated to the door without another word.

After he left, Kitty stared after him for a few long moments, amazed by the Acolyte's concern and his sweet personality. She promptly shrugged off her wandering thoughts though, and turned back to her laptop as her stomach growled again.

She honestly didn't care if Pete brought her cereal or a five-course meal as long as he hurried!

X

About five minutes later, Kitty was surprised to hear another soft knock on the door. '_Hmm,_' she thought _'looks like Piotr went with the cereal after all._'

When the large Russian Acolyte walked through the door with a plate of Pop Tarts instead of a bowl of Frosted Flakes, she was more than a little disappointed.

Pop Tarts? Really? SHE could make those for crying out loud!

Regardless of her internal monologue, Kitty plastered a wide smile on her face. She HAD said she didn't care, after all. Unfortunately her stomach wasn't agreeing with her decision.

"Thank you, Piotr," she stated automatically as he handed her the small ceramic dish with her 'food.'

He nodded quietly. "You are velcome."

No sooner had she taken the plate than he turned and headed for her door again.

"I vill come back soon. I must attend to someZing downstairs for a vhile," he called over his shoulder as he shut the door behind him.

With a simultaneously confused and disappointed expression, Kitty looked to the closed door, down at her Pop Tarts, and back to the door again before sighing.

Boys!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Girls!

Remy heaved a labored sigh as Rogue trudged along silently behind him. She hadn't said a word since they'd started walking a few hours ago, and she was probably still fuming about him grabbing her arm like that. Unfortunately, he didn't really know how to broach the subject with her. He wanted to apologize for his harshness, but she HAD to open up and allow him to touch her if they wanted to beat Apocalypse!!

She was just so darned stubborn though!

Biting his lip to contain his own anger and frustration, Remy subconsciously walked a little faster to burn off some of his emotional issues. He was still very bothered by the fact that Rogue had even MENTIONED suicide.

'_Of course_,' he thought to himself as he stamped through the wilderness, '_I can't really blame her for feeling that way_. _I've contemplated the same fate on more than one occasion. Only difference is I was too much of a coward to go through with it._'

Considering her situation, he doubted that Rogue would hesitate to do herself in if she felt the need. Perhaps that was the reason he was so upset by her admission – he was afraid she really WOULD kill herself just to stop Apocalypse. She was the type of person that would do whatever it took to achieve something and he knew it.

The thought made him terribly uncomfortable and he was VERY bothered by the fact that he WAS so uncomfortable. Why was he so infuriated by the idea that Rogue would kill herself to stop a lunatic?

In the event Apocalypse was able to go through with his plans, countless people around the world – mutant and human alike – would perish. Seeing that the only way to stop the entire world from collapsing under the madman's leadership was to keep him from getting to Rogue, wouldn't it be better to just let her die? If it came right down to the line and Apocalypse DID manage to get a hold of Rogue, wouldn't it be better to let her take her own life rather than destroying millions of other innocent people around the world? Sacrifice one to save the world…right?

He sighed again and ran a hand through his mud-streaked, oily hair. Darn if that wasn't a tough question. He was only a few years older than Rogue and could barely stomach all of this. He had absolutely no idea how in the world SHE was dealing with it!

X

Rogue tried not to glare at Remy's back as he picked up his pace slightly. She doubted he was doing it on purpose, but he wasn't making this journey any easier on her. Her feet were in so much pain she could hardly walk at all, let alone at a quick pace, and her ribs were still bothering her quite a bit too. The pain wasn't as bad as it had been yesterday, but it was enough to drive her to distraction nonetheless.

It didn't help that Remy had already pushed her limit of patience this morning. First, he didn't even let her sleep for just a few more minutes when he'd gotten up. Lord knew that for all the time he'd spent spying on her and the X-Men, he should know by now that she was NOT a morning person.

Second, he'd practically ripped his coat off her body, making her feel extremely vulnerable and exposed. After all, her dress wasn't all that long anymore, and she had no way of knowing if it had ridden up (or down) during the night. The bottom hem could have been around her waist for all she knew and, as Remy had mentioned before, Apocalypse hadn't intended for her to be wearing undergarments…

Then, Remy had gone and tried to TOUCH her.

Even if they WERE trying to work on her touching problem, he should know better than to just reach out and grab her like that. She honestly wanted to work on it, but … she just couldn't handle him touching her. If it had been Kurt or Kitty or maybe even Ororo, it would be totally different. She wouldn't have a problem touching any of them.

So why was it such an issue with Remy?

Was it because he was an Acolyte? She gnawed on her lower lip as she considered the possibility… That **might** be the problem, but it felt much deeper than that.

Determined to get to the bottom of the nagging dilemma, (after all, she had a LOT of time to think) Rogue carefully analyzed the way she felt whenever Remy touched her.

The first time she'd really felt his skin on hers – and had a moment to dwell on the sensation – they'd been hiding inside the alcove of the cave where she'd nearly drowned. Her bare back had been pressed flush against his naked chest, but she'd been too preoccupied to really consider her feelings or the situation.

Now, however, she had ample time to mull over her emotions.

The first emotion was anxiety. She hadn't touched anyone in so long that the sensation had felt foreign and surreal. That nagging voice in the back of her mind had been screaming at her to get away before she drained and/or killed him. The last thing she wanted to do was harm anyone, and it had taken her brain a few moments to remember that her powers were gone.

Secondly, she'd been only a heartbeat away from fear. The knowledge that she was trapped and defenseless with the Cajun Acolyte was more than a little intimidating. Rogue had never been concerned with being … forced… into anything, because it simply wasn't possible. As she'd sat in the cave with Gambit, however, she realized that such a scenario was much more plausible now that she was powerless.

Third was the pure thrill of actually touching another human being without worry over killing them. She'd been deprived of the sensation for so long that she'd nearly forgotten how nice it was. In fact, if not for the stolen memories that helped her see how wonderful touching could be, she would probably hate it completely.

So, while she and Gambit had been stuck in that tiny alcove for so long, she couldn't help herself from reveling in the feeling of his skin on hers.

And that, of course, had led to other feelings.

Rogue had felt the heat of Remy's body radiate through hers and it had kindled a fire somewhere inside of her. The fact that she'd been utterly exposed in front of him hadn't helped soothe that fire either. Now, as she walked through the forest trying to keep up with Gambit, she remembered the way his smooth, finely toned chest had felt against her bare skin . It had been exquisite - all that warm, hardened muscle pressing against her cold, sensitive flesh. She could pull all the memories of everyone she'd ever touched, but knew she'd never find anything with which to compare it.

She'd felt that heat radiating from his back and into her body – through her own back, into her bones, around her limbs and down, deep down, into her very organs. His heat had fueled hers and it made her very uncomfortable. She had felt that heat and fire travel down through every inch of her body before finally coming to rest between her legs, and it had taken every ounce of willpower not to fidget as she struggled with the exquisite and unbearable sensation.

Rogue had nearly sighed in relief when Remy moved her to lie across his lap. It had only alleviated the heat by a bit, but at least he couldn't feel that heat and fire roaring inside.

The moment was long over now, but her mind and body still experienced those same emotions every time he reached for her. That same anxiety, fear, thrill, and heat rushed through her whenever she felt his skin on her own. But, she especially remembered that heat. It rushed through her body like a plague, haunting her very blood as it traveled throughout her extremities and came to rest on her face and between her thighs.

Rogue blushed slightly as she tried to get herself under control again. She HAD to stop doing this if they were going to have any hope of stopping Apocalypse.

Her lack of powers, Remy's touch, Apocalypse, even drowning – it was almost too much for her to take and she didn't know how long she could keep this up. Her mind was at war with itself and her body was a mess, hormonally and physically.

They had been walking for so long that Rogue had lost track of time and although she desperately wanted to stop and rest, she didn't dare to ask for a break for fear of seeming weak in front of Remy.

She had no way of knowing if they'd been walking for one hour or four because of the canopy of trees above them. The thick green leaves filtered out most of the sunlight, with only a few rays shining through to fall on their faces and necks. She was unable to actually look up at the sky to try and decide on the time for fear of giving away their position to Apocalypse. So, she walked on deliberately despite the fact that she ached horribly and was tired, hungry and hot.

Inside her chest, Rogue's ribs were burning with exhaustion, making it difficult to breathe. Pain exuded through her entire body, and each step was more excruciating than the last. Still, she knew if she quit, it would be like laying out on a silver platter for Apocalypse. There were no pills or quick remedies to ease her agony, so the best she could do was try to put it out of her mind and just deal.

One thing she couldn't put out of her mind, however, was her stomach. It grumbled and twisted every few minutes, begging for food. The berries were long gone, but it wasn't like she had been able to stomach them after her digestive display anyhow. They'd spent the last day with their eyes peeled for any type of edible looking vegetation and hadn't found any fruit or berries yet. Unfortunately, neither of them were able to tell which greens were poisonous and which weren't, so they couldn't just pick random plants to eat, and despite Gambit's suggestion on eating bugs, neither of them were all too keen on that idea either.

All in all, the combination of hunger and the hot sun beating down on them was making Rogue slightly dizzy. They hadn't gone for water yet today and Rogue licked her dry and cracking lips subconsciously. She could feel the skin on her face and neck burning as a few rays of light beat down on her, and although she was sweltering under Remy's duster she refused to take it off. The long leather jacket made her feel much more secure and less vulnerable around the Cajun, so she was absolutely not going to remove it any time soon.

One thing she DID wish she could remove however, were her shoes. On top of everything else, the golden sandals were really cutting into her feet and calves now, and she could feel blisters forming on the soft skin of her soles as the leather rubbed against her feet incessantly. Instead of whining or asking to stop though, Rogue simply bit her lip and continued on after Gambit, consoling herself by concocting many different ways in which she'd like to disembowel Apocalypse, Mesmero and Mystique…

X

Remy spared a glance back at Rogue as they walked. Her face was flushed with heat and the contrast of the pink in her cheeks to the alabaster of her skin was stunning. Her jaw was firmly set as she ambled along – the determined, stubborn look only leaving her face for a fleeting moment when she winced suddenly.

"D'ya wanna stop for a bit, _chere_?" Remy asked as he pulled up to wait for her. "Y' look like y' could use a break."

Stubborn and resolved, Rogue simply walked right past him, refusing to meet his eyes.

"Ah'm fine, let's just keep goin,'" she replied automatically as she continued moving. If she stopped now, she doubted she'd be able to get up again.

As she forged ahead, Remy noticed that the southerner was hunched over and limping slightly. Her altered gait was almost imperceptible to the untrained eye, but the Cajun easily observed the way she tenderly picked up and placed each foot back on the ground as if hesitating to walk even while she maintained a brisk pace.

Sighing, Remy stopped short. He knew Rogue was hurting, but there wasn't anything he could do if she was going to be stubborn.

Or was there?

"I think it's about time we went for water _petite_," he called to her.

Instead of stopping, however, she kept walking.

Remy rolled his eyes. Stubborn, stubborn, stubborn. With a smirk, he thought, 'Oh well, at least it makes things interesting.' He ran to catch up with her and grabbed for her hand.

As Rogue felt Remy's fingers brush her skin, she pulled back with a small hiss. She turned to glare menacingly at him and folder her arms, trying to keep her hands out of his reach.

Fixing her with a reproachful look, Remy fought to keep from laughing. Rogue was still wearing his trench coat over her dress despite the heat, but the poor, tattered garment was far too large for her small frame. The sleeves were rolled up at least five times and rested about halfway up her arms, her petite hands appearing even smaller amidst the mass of fabric.

The burnt ends of the coat nearly dragged in the dirt and licked playfully at her heels as she swayed slightly on her feet. The coat barely stayed on her thin shoulders and hung off her body like a blanket, constantly threatening to swallow her.

She looked like a child playing dress up and Remy smiled warmly at the image. It slowly faded, however, as he realized that she'd likely never played dress up, or been able to do ANY of the same things other children do.

Just like him…

He forced another smile onto his face – careful not to let her see any sympathy in his countenance.

Still, he filed away the image and implications for another day.

"Come on," he said at last, pulling himself from his reverie, "we need more water."

Rogue eyed him warily. "I'm fine. Let's just keep goin'," she responded, the automatic tone creeping back into her voice.

"Sorry _chere_, but I don't buy it. Y'r pink as a strawberry and I can see y' limpin' from here."

That arrogant smirk had settled on Remy's face again and Rogue felt herself flushing instantly. How was it that he managed to sound concerned and caring while simultaneously making her furious and flustered?

He brushed aside a stray pine branch and sauntered up to her. Rogue had to force herself not to retreat and instead stood her ground resolutely, wiping all emotion from her face.

"All right, fine," she huffed, placing her hands on her hips in annoyance. Secretly, she was very thankful he was pushing the issue. Her feet and ribs needed a serious break and she wasn't about to ask for one herself.

Regardless, she rolled her eyes as Remy grinned wickedly and crouched down in front of her. With a roll of her eyes, she obediently hooked one tender calf around his hip, and placed her hand on his shoulder for balance as she redistributed her weight across his back, hoping he wouldn't try anything cheeky again.

But honestly, how could he resist such a temptation?

With a sly grin, Remy made sure Rogue was no longer supporting her own weight before sliding his left hand up to her ankle. Ever so slowly, he dragged his palm up along the smooth skin of her calf, lightly fingering the golden ties of her sandals and savoring the slight gasp she emitted as he went. He stopped as he reached the top of the ties where they ended just under her knees. As his fingers traced the ties, he exalted in Rogue's suppressed moan. Smiling, he assumed that she must really be enjoying it if she wasn't even fighting him yet.

Rogue, on the other hand, wasn't smiling. The first gasp had been pure shock as her mind ran through the same emotions it did every time Remy touched her. As his fingers flitted along the laces of her shoes, however, she tried not to moan in pain as the dexterous digits slid along the sores the ties had carved into her skin.

It seemed Remy finally noticed that something was amiss, because he stopped suddenly and gently grasped the back of her knee as he bent his head to examine her leg.

"_Merde chere_," he said at last, finally noticing the angry gashes in her calves. "Didn't know d'ose fancy t'ings were causin' such a problem. _Je suis desole_. (I'm sorry)," he apologized. "Never would've done that if'n I'd known. Why didn't you say dey were botherin' y'?"

She offered no response to his question and Remy tried to cock his head backward to see her face. "Soon as we get to the river we gotta tend to those wounds 'fore they get infected, _d'accord?_" (okay)

Rogue couldn't tell if it was request or a command, but she didn't really care as long as he made the throbbing stop.

Remy was careful to lift her from behind the knees and avoided her torn calves as best he could. He didn't want to aggravate the small cuts or make them worse. Also, they had to be very careful to avoid infection. Rogue wouldn't be happy about it, but he would need to take more scraps from her dress to wrap her legs up and keep the shoelaces from causing further damage.

Rogue grunted slightly as Remy lifted her up, but did not complain. "Y' all right?" he questioned quickly.

"Dandy," she responded with a pained grit to her voice.

Remy took a deep breath. Darn but she was stubborn! This girl could be on her deathbed and probably wouldn't say a word. He wasn't sure whether the concept was inspiring or just plain irritating.

"Y're eyes closed?"

"Yep."

Determined to get Rogue talking in full sentences again, Remy reverted back to his time-old tradition of twenty questions.

"So," he started as he began walking again, "I believe it's my turn, _n'est pas_?" (Is it not?)

Rogue snorted in response and Remy nearly laughed at her lack of enthusiasm toward his little game.

They started through a sparse part of the forest and Remy took a moment to look around and get his bearings again.

The pine trees were dispersed throughout the area with at least 10 or more feet between each one. Tall yellow grass covered the uneven, lonely terrain and thousands of wildflowers danced in the light breeze. The flowers came in every color imaginable - pinks, greens, yellows, oranges, reds, purples, and even blacks blanketed the land and created an absolutely beautiful scene.

He just wished Rogue could see it.

But, even if she couldn't see the magical sight, she could certainly smell it. A multitude of scents surrounded them and Remy's eyes watered slightly from the onslaught. Thank God he didn't have hay fever! The variety ranged from sickeningly sweet to bitter, relaxing to stimulating, and the scents played with his senses like a finely tuned piano.

Remy could hear Rogue sniffing the air with curiosity and knew she was dying to open her eyes.

"_Mon dieu_," he said at last, "dis is amazing Rogue. Wish you could see it - t'ink maybe I'll bring you back here, someday, just for dis. _C'est magnifique. (It's magnificent)_" He wanted to at least describe the image, but couldn't risk Apocalypse finding the spot.

Rogue stayed quiet and Remy missed her wistful smile as she kept her eyes firmly shut. Instead, he continued walking through the colorful flowers as he moved toward the direction of the river and finally asked his first question. Praying all the while that they wouldn't be stung by bees to boot…

"Okay, so number one: Why do you stay wit' Captain Cueball anyhow? (S) Y' don't seem t' like it there much," he inquired casually.

Remy bit his lip. He was worried that Rogue would simply refuse to answer his question, and he really DID want to know why she was still there when she could simply go back to the South. He knew she must miss it terribly.

He certainly did.

Rogue snorted at Remy's nickname for Professor Xavier, but mulled over his question regardless. It was pretty personal, but she knew that she'd have to weather a few of those types of questions if she wanted to stick it to Apocalypse.

Sighing, she prepared her answer. "Ah guess… Ah guess it's 'cause there's not really any place left to go." She bit her lip nervously. "Imagine you know the story with Irene and… Mystique?" She bit out the blue woman's name venomously and Remy nodded, uncertain whether she would understand his gesture or not.

Apparently she did, because she continued. "Ah really don't know what ah'd do without the Institute. Ah'll never go back to Irene. As grateful as ah am that she took care of me, ah can't go back. When ah found out that it was really Mystique that'd been raisin' me with Irene for all those years…"

Rogue quickly walled off her emotions and moved on before she could dwell on her feelings.

"Sometimes ah think that ah'm only with the X-Men because there ISN'T anything else for me. Ah can't go off and live mah life like a normal person 'cause of mah powers. Can't have a regular job and risk hurtin' somebody….Ah won't join Magneto 'cause he's just crazy and ah definitely don't believe in makin' 'baseline humans' suffer because they're different. Ah WANT to believe in the Professor's dream of peace between mutants and humans, but sometimes ah wonder if it's only just that… a dream and nothin' else."

Content with her answer, Rogue fell silent as Remy absorbed all the information.

"What about you?" she asked finally. "Why are you with Magneto of all people? Y' seem pretty decent to be with a psycho like him."

Remy snorted.

"Well, Gambit don't think he's all THAT crazy," the Cajun replied as he walked. "He takes de 'superiority complex' to new heights, but I can see his point. He just wants t' be left alone, really. Jus' like anyone else."

Rogue scoffed.

"Trust me Gambit, that is NOT all he wants. I've been in his head remember? He's just a step or two away from reaching Apocalypse's level of psychopath. Neither of them cares who gets hurt as long as they get what they want. They're obsessed with being the best and not having any opposition. The only difference is, Magneto accepts ALL mutants, not just the most powerful ones. It won't be long before Magneto loses it and tries to destroy every human on the planet."

"_Peut-etre_ (maybe)," Gambit replied, deep in thought.

"So?" Rogue asked again, impatience dripping from her voice.

"So what?"

"Y' never said why y' joined him." Rogue knew he was avoiding her question and was determined to get an answer out of him.

"Dat's because it's not y'r turn t' ask," Remy responded cheekily.

Rogue rolled her eyes. "All right then, next question." She reminded herself to ask him about it later. Turn about WAS fair play after all.

Remy hitched Rogue up a little higher on his back and readjusted his grip on her knees. The sea of flowers still hadn't ended and it was making Remy more than a little nervous. If Apocalypse's guards came by, they'd have no trees in which to hide.

"Who's your best friend?" He asked a simple, non-emotional question to give her a little variety. He didn't want to hit her with a bunch of difficult questions at once for fear that she'd chicken out and quit playing.

"Ah guess Kitty," the Southerner replied. "Her, Logan and Kurt are the only ones that really even seem to give a crap. Everyone else just avoids me, which is pretty much how I want it anyhow. Still, they've always been there for me. Mostly when I don't want them, but they're always there. It's nice to know that someone cares."

"True dat," Remy agreed quietly.

"Number three den. What's y'r favorite movie?" he asked as he hitched the girl a little higher on his hips, being cautious not to jostle her ribs. Up ahead, he could finally see the beginning edge of the forest a few hundred yards beyond the sea of wildflowers, and he wanted to get there as quickly as possible.

"Pff," Rogue scoffed, "that one's easy. _Interview with a Vampire._"

This time it was Remy's turn to huff. "Typical," he scolded softly. "Dat's real great _chere_, you jus' keep tellin' everyone dese automatic responses an' mebbe you'll start believin' dem y'rself, _d'accord_?"

Remy felt Rogue tense up slightly as he finished his minor tirade. He didn't want to be harsh, but he was just so SICK of her trust issues!

Not that HE had any room to talk, but he wasn't the one in danger of losing his soul to some madman.

After all, he'd ALREADY done that…

"Fer your information," Rogue bit out as she glowered at him from behind closed lids, "it actually IS mah favorite movie!"

Some of the fire in her voice died down as she continued, "I, uh, ah kinda… ah don't know. Ah guess ah just identify with Armand, ya know? Ah can imagine what his character must be feelin' – bein' so isolated and alone. He lost so much – his family, his home, everything he ever knew, even his own sense of self. Ah suppose ah sympathize with him. He's a vampire, just like the other ones in the movie, but he's also different than them, too. He's an outcast even among his own kind – partly because of who and what he is, and partly because he knows it's better that way."

With a deep, calming breath to indicate she was finished, Rogue fell into a reflective silence as Remy pondered her admission.

Wow. He REALLY needed to watch that movie again.

"Huh," he replied at last. "You uh, y' sure put a lot of thought into y'r movies, _chere_. Me, I like um f'r pure entertainment. I'm a comedy man myself. I get far too much angst, drama and horror in m' life as it is. I don't need t' watch other folks go through it too."

"Oh yeah?" Rogue piped up, her curiosity peaked. "And what kinda horrors have you witnessed, Gambit?" She tried to keep her tone light and playful, but she was truly interested. Any visions or memories she'd pulled from his head were long gone now and he was a perfect mystery to her.

It was starting to get obnoxious.

"_Chere_," his voice was equally light as he responded, "I've been livin' wit' Magneto, Sabertooth and Pyro f'r de better part of a year. Trust me, I've seen PLENTY of horrors."

Rogue chuckled silently and the motion reverberated through Remy's back. "Really, like what? It can't be THAT bad."

"Oh, it's worse – much worse." Remy's tone was serious, but Rogue could still make out the teasing, playful intonation as well.

"F'r instance," he continued, "did y' know dat Sabertooth likes t' sleep in d' nude? T' be honest, so do I, but at least Gambit don't sleepwalk!"

Eyes still glued shut, Rogue tried to suppress a rather undignified snort as she blushed simultaneously.

Still, Remy continued. "And, y' can't tell a SOUL I told y' dis, but Magneto… he sings in de shower."

This time Rogue chuckled outright at her companion's serious tone. "That's a good one Ga – er, Remy."

"I'm SERIOUS, Rogue!" he exclaimed. "De man sings constantly! In de shower, on de toilet, readin' de paper, you name it. 'S why he's got his own bathroom on de ot'er side of the compound – he don't want anyone t' know what he really does in dere!

"What d' ya t'ink it'd do t' his reputation as 'de most terrifying mutant terrorist' if people knew he sang show tunes on d' pot?! Dat's why y' can't tell anyone! He'd kill us both! No one would believe ya, but he'd still kill us t' preserve his good name."

As Rogue mulled over his confession, trying to decide if it was in fact true or not, Remy silently chastised himself. He hated keeping things from the girl. Of course he'd seen worse than Victor Creed naked (not many, but he had). Admitting the truth and divulging his tumultuous past to her WOULD probably help them bond more quickly, but he couldn't risk her being afraid of him right now. Besides, this was about HER, not him.

"So, how 'bout de Wolverine, eh? You got any dirty little secrets on him?" Remy asked at last, trying to break the silence.

Rogue was suddenly VERY glad she was on Remy's back and not right next to him.

Logan was… Well, she got most of her information on the PHYSICAL aspect of relationships from Logan. Whenever she wanted to know something about the human body, she typically used his memories to learn it. Occasionally, she would access Mr. McCoy's vast knowledge on the functions of specific body parts or whatnot, but, well, Beast's information usually came from textbooks whereas Wolverine's was more… hands on.

An unbidden memory of him, naked and dripping under the spray of a hot shower, came crashing to the forefront of her mind as if just waiting for her to dwell on it. And, before she could stop herself, she was immersed within the vision she had witnessed many, many times already.

Rogue had revisited that memory so often, in fact, that it was practically engrained in her mind. Her entire body flushed pink as she tried to wipe away the image, but it really didn't matter at this point. She could see the picture just as vividly as if she were standing right there and she tried not to gasp as the same sensations washed over her body and mind as it did nearly every time she saw the scene.

It played very much like a raunchy home movie: it was a vague, distant memory that had lost some clarity over time. The image was fuzzy, as if being viewed from a distance, but she, however, always had a front seat to the show…

_Logan's dark hair hung limply around his shoulders, plastered to his tanned skin as he submerged his face within the scalding water. Rogue swallowed hard as her mind's eye traveled down along the firm, glistening muscles of his chest and the dark patch of hair between his pecs. Downward still, her vision raked over the perfectly defined abs and followed the small sprinkling of black hair that started at his belly button and became thicker the farther down it went._

_Finally, her inner eye rested on his strong hand, wrapped firmly along his manhood as he stroked himself, muscles and sinew contorting and writhing silently as he grunted and moaned out a name…_

"Rogue?"

Remy tried again, "Hello, earth t' Rogue. You in dere girl?"

With a sharp intake of air, the girl in question crashed back to reality, flushing hotly.

"Uh, Logan's not… he um," Rogue stumbled on her words as she tried to explain her way out of the mess. "Let's just say Wolverine definitely doesn't SING in the shower."

If at all possible, Rogue's skin glowed an even darker shade of red.

Remy laughed grandly. He could tell Rogue was trying not squirm as she attempted to stutter out an acceptable answer, but she was failing horribly. It didn't take a genius to figure out why she was suddenly so uncomfortable. He could only imagine the many vivid scenes she had likely absorbed from the infamous Wolverine.

"So, uh, is dere anyone ELSE at de Institute dat DON'T sing in de shower?" he asked with a sly grin.

Rogue blanched at his outright audacity. She made a few indistinct noises in her throat – much like a drowning fish – and finally squeaked, "PASS!" before becoming rather angry at his obvious attempts to make her blush.

Remy's face fell. He'd almost forgotten they were even playing a game. The conversation had been going so well, too!

"Okay, fine," he rounded on her. Trying not to sulk, he steered his inquiries back into 'safe' territory so he could slowly wheedle her back into more a more difficult line of questioning.

"Favorite movie genre?"

Rogue chewed her lip thoughtfully, still flushing and fuming as she took deep, calming breaths.

"Ah don't… ah don't know if ah even HAVE a favorite genre. Every movie's a little different, but ah guess ah like the ones that have a…" she hesitated, worried he would laugh at her again.

"Go on," he coaxed, "ones that 'have a' what?"

With much uncertainty and a tinge of irritation, she sighed and spoke. "A – a message, ah guess." She was still flushed from the last round of questioning and subsequent images, and the fact that she was embarrassed by her own answers wasn't helping much.

Smiling, Remy praised her for the confession. "See, dat wasn't so hard, was it? Makes perfect sense, too. It fits you."

"And what does THAT mean?" Rogue tried to keep the fury out of her voice as she suppressed a rather nasty snarl. Atop his back, she felt the Cajun shrug nonchalantly.

"Just means it makes sense that you would prefer movies wit' a deeper, more intriguing meaning. Don't know if anyone's ever told you dis before, but you have an aura of complexity and gravity around you dat can be more den a little intimidating. Intriguing, but intimidating nonetheless."

Rogue's cheeks reddened once again, but this time it was the combination of embarrassment and pleasure that made the blood rush to her face. That was, hands down, one of the best compliments she'd ever received. At least, she THOUGHT it was. It WAS a compliment, right?

"Um, thanks. Ah guess," she replied sheepishly. How many times had he made her blush already today? She'd lost count at a dozen.

Remy smiled, "_Avec plaisir, ma belle cherie_." (With pleasure, my beautiful dear)

The pink in Rogue's cheeks turned crimson and she pursed her lips to keep herself from grinning like an idiot. She should have smacked him, not thanked him! What was she thinking? WAS she even thinking anymore? Why on earth did this stupid Cajun have such a stupid affect on her stupid brain!

She forced herself to frown indignantly at him despite the slightly giddy feeling in her brain. She didn't have long to dwell on her feelings however, because Remy suddenly spoke up again.

"Alright, here's number five," he started, but Rogue cut him off abruptly.

"Number seven actually. Those questions about mah friends' 'dirty secrets' count too, ya know. Ah didn't bother t' count the unintentional ones, so you get them free."

Huffing resentfully, Remy continued, "Fine den, number SEVEN. Besides gaining control of y'r powers, what's one thing you've always wanted? …And it can't be 'World Peace."

Rogue whistled, impressed. "And ya think I'M deep!" She wasn't sure she wanted to answer, but figured she should probably keep her last 'Get Out of Jail' card for a more difficult question. Thankfully, she didn't have to think long about this one. She already knew the answer.

"Yer probably gonna laugh, but well… Ah've uh, ah've always wanted a – a puppy."

Before Remy had a chance to ask for clarification, Rogue immediately launched into a hurried, almost apologetic explanation.

"When, uh, when ah was seven, this family moved in next door. They had this daughter who was just a year or so older n' me and, well, she was an utterly spoiled little… brat."

Remy chuckled at Rogue's choice of words, but did not interrupt.

"This girl'd come over all the time just t' show me all her nice things. She'd flaunt the number of friends she had, all the places she went, the things her parents let her do…"

Rogue scrunched her eyes a little tighter and took a deep breath. "Ah never cared much, not really. Irene gave me practically everything ah ever needed and some ah didn't – like that phony skin condition for instance."

The X-Man bit down on her lip and inhaled slowly, letting it out again just as carefully and evenly to calm herself down.

"Anyhow," she began once she was under control, "Ah never really cared until one day, she brought over this puppy. Ah'm pretty sure it was a Border Collie – it was black with a white nose and paws, and a streak o' white goin' up the middle of it's forehead."

With a wistful sigh, Rogue smiled at her own memory. "Ah remember how she just thrust it right into mah arms, not even carin' that ah wasn't supposed to touch any type of animal 'cause of my 'condition.' In fact, ah'm pretty sure she wanted it to flare up or something just so she could rub it in a little more."

Rogue scowled slightly, but brightened a fraction as she continued. "Ah just held that little pup in mah arms, and it was like it'd known me forever. She sat and licked mah face and arms and didn't give a hoot about who or what ah was. It was really nice, ya know? Ah'd always been kind of an outcast 'cause of mah skin, and that was the first time ah'd ever really felt wanted in mah whole life. Irene tried, of course, but she was still so distant. But that little puppy… That's when ah figured how unconditional love should prob'ly feel. Maybe that's why it was so important to me."

Remy could hear the smallest hitch in Rogue's voice as she stopped to take another deep breath.

"Then, after about a month, that stupid gal just got sick of her puppy and wanted a… a pony or somethin' instead. Told me they were gonna get rid of it, put it to sleep or something, unless **I** wanted t' keep it. Ah begged Irene t' let meh have it, but she always had some kind of excuse for me. After two days of non-stop pesterin' she finally just blamed it on my skin."

Rogue chuckled, but it was mirthless and bitter. "That's when I told her ah'd been sneakin' over t' the neighbors house and playin' with that puppy nearly every day for a month and hadn't once gotten sick."

Rogue's tone turned angry as she continued, "I came down with a nasty rash about two days later and by the time ah got better, they'd already taken the puppy away to the pound. Ah still remember the look on Irene's face when ah told her, though. It was priceless. Looking back now, ah guess she was just shocked that she hadn't already known about it."

Another disheartened laugh escaped her. "Growin' up, ah always thought she wasn't really blind, or that she must've had some type of sixth sense or somethin' 'cause she always knew what ah was doin' – sometimes before even AH did. 'Course, it all makes sense NOW."

As Remy listened to her tale, the look on his face morphed rapidly from amusement, to sympathy, to full blown anger.

"S' wait," he interrupted quickly, "Are you tellin' me dat Irene actually GAVE you a rash, just t' maintain dat stupid 'skin condition' story?"

"Ah reckon so," Rogue replied with another calming breath. "Especially considerin' ah never actually HAD a condition 'til mah powers kicked in. She used t' make me put on this cream every night though. Most of the time it seemed like regular old lotion, but right before ah'd get a rash, there'd always be this funny smell to it. Those were the nights ah'd fight her on usin' the stuff, too."

Although Remy couldn't see it, Rogue's face fell, eyes still shut tight, as she bit her lip. "Ah guess that on some level, ah've always known that it was just too good, ya know?"

Remy nodded and grunted in response, but inside his blood was boiling. His own adopted father had been cruel at times, but he'd never intentionally hurt Remy. (At least as far as Remy knew.) The thought that Rogue had grown up in such a place… No wonder the girl had so many emotional issues. He couldn't imagine the psychological torture she'd been put through, all the while thinking that her life was perfectly normal and just being thankful she had someone that cared for her.

"So here's another tough one for yah," Remy asked as soon as his rage was back under control. "I can only guess dat you'd just as soon push Mystique's stony ass right offa cliff, but what would you say t' Irene? Knowing everything you do now? Mystique may be de one who adopted y' and all, but Irene's de one who raised you – does dat make her more or less guilty den Mystique?"

"Geez Remy!" Rogue exclaimed, suddenly more than a little angry. "Are you suddenly channeling Dr. Phil or what? (S) Ah don't… Ah – ah can't think about that right now, okay? Pass."

The truth was, Rogue's eyes were already starting to sting with tears. There was no way Mystique would have known about Apocalypse unless Destiny had told her. Which meant Irene – the woman she'd lived with, trusted, and loved – had played just as large of a role in this whole debacle as Mystique. Possibly even more so.

The real question was this: Had Destiny foreseen the possibility of Rogue becoming Apocalypse's slave Queen? And, if so, had she and Mystique tried to prevent or encourage that future?

If they'd been trying to prevent it, then why hadn't Irene and Mystique simply gone to Xavier? Had they been worried that perhaps the Professor or Magneto would rather kill her than risk freeing Apocalypse?

No, that couldn't be right either. Mystique had gone out of the way to use Rogue in order to do just that. Which meant…

"OW!!" Remy yelped as Rogue's grip on his shoulders tightened painfully. "What was dat for?!"

"Oops, sorry Rem! Ah guess ah just got lost in thought," Rogue apologized sheepishly.

"You, uh, you think of pain often, _chere_?" he asked with mock nervousness.

Rogue smiled sweetly, and though he couldn't see it, he could definitely HEAR it as she whispered low into his ear – saccharine as the honey from a beehive and with the slightest twinge of suggestiveness.

"Only with you, Remy. Only with you."

…

XXXXX

Just when Gambit was beginning to panic over losing the river, he heard the rushing of water up ahead and sighed in relief. God help them if they didn't have fresh water. They'd be dead from dehydration long before Apocalypse could get to them.

Before he could actually see the river ahead, he stopped in a small clearing that was completely enshrouded by trees. Not a drop of sunlight poked through the dense branches above, and the sound of the river echoed loudly through the entire area, making it impossible to tell in which direction it was located. The ground was covered in soft, green moss from the river's moisture, half a dozen large protruding boulders, and a few old trees that lay dead among the new growth.

Overall, it was perfectly serene and picturesque and would be a marvelous spot to sit, rest and tend to their grievances.

"Once again, thank you for riding with us today. We are now beginning our decent. We hope you enjoyed your trip and will come back soon. _A bientot!_." (See you soon)

Remy crouched down low enough for Rogue to simply plant her feet and stand up, but as soon as she had done so, she began to sway again. Instinctively, she reached out for the closest thing to steady herself…

Which happened to be him.

"Whoa dere _cherie_," he cautioned as he turned around and held onto Rogue's forearms. He didn't miss the grimace that crossed her face as she took a step forward and, within a moment's blink, he scooped her up bridal-style and carried her to a cluster of nearby boulders.

"REMY!" Rogue screeched as she was suddenly lifted into the air once more. She HATED being carried like this. It made her feel like some weak little girl!

"Put me down!" she hissed while smacking him upside the head.

"Of course _mademoiselle_ (Miss)," he replied and carefully deposited her on a rock. It was about three feet off the ground, which was exactly perfect for inspecting and caring for her wounds.

"Y' need t' stay off y'r feet as much as possible, _d'accord_? (okay) I'm gonna have t' take the scraps off y'r ribs t' take care o' dose gashes on y'r feet, but I'm probably gonna need more of 'em, too."

Remy held her gaze as a look of distain and worry crossed Rogue's features.

"Uh, can't… can't we just take some off the coat? Mah dress is gettin' a little short as it is." Rogue licked her lips nervously. She REALLY didn't want to take more off the garment.

As it was, the dress hung just barely at her knees. Taking off more material would bring it even higher and she wasn't particularly happy about wearing something that resembled a mini-skirt. Especially not around this cocky Cajun flirt!

Remy smiled apologetically.

"Sorry _cherie_, but no. We gotta have dat thing intact f'r warmth at night. De weather's been changin' around us. It's getting a lot warmer during the day, which means we probably gonna get a storm sometime real soon. We need dat coat f'r survival."

Rogue nodded resolutely. Darn him, but he was right. She knew what they'd have to do, but it didn't mean she liked the idea none.

From his half-crouch on the ground, Remy reached up for the impromptu bandages around Rogue's ribs. She, however, moved away slightly and eyed him suspiciously. With a little laugh, Remy held up the Boy Scout's honor sign with his fingers.

"Don't worry, I ain't gonna tickle you. Can't risk you gettin' injured any worse."

With careful, delicate hands, Remy once again reached for the small knot in the fabric and worked it free. Ever so slowly, he began unraveling the ties from Rogue's torso, careful not to accidentally jostle or tickle her in the process.

Rogue took slow, easy breaths as she tried to calm her heart rate. She tried to focus on anything besides Remy's strong hands around her waist or the way he stared so intently at his work.

Or was he staring at her chest?!

She took another breath and tried to convince herself that he was only looking at the ties and not the way her chest was heaving up and down right in front of his face.

X

Meanwhile, Remy was trying VERY hard to concentrate.

He was bent over, with his head incredibly close to Rogue's ample breasts (covered only by a tiny tube-top, mind you) as he unwrapped the bandages from around her ribs and chest. With a great deal of effort, he focused his vision on only his own hands and tried to ignore the way Rogue's chest bobbed enticingly with every breath she took.

He bit his lower lip harshly as he tried to block out some not-so-gentlemanly visions.

With a furrowed brow, Remy watched his hands carefully unravel each and every tie as he sped up the pace a bit. He knew he had to work fast to avoid any embarrassing displays. If he did something stupid now, Rogue would never let him touch her again and that would instantly give Apocalypse the upper hand.

Remy sighed in relief as he finished unwrapping Rogue's ribs, but instead of standing up, he immediately crouched low and began working on the sandals, trying to get his body back under control.

X

Rogue exhaled slowly, relieved when Remy moved away from her ribs and toward a less intimate area of her body. Her pulse had been racing the entire time he worked on removing the bandages.

Now however, she took a deep breath to calm herself and instantly winced at the pressure on her broken ribs. She made a little noise in her throat and Remy's head whipped up to stare at her, his hands held up away from her feet.

"Did I hurt you?" he questioned, concern racking his features.

Rogue forced a smile on her face even while she tried not to wince.

"No, ah just took too deep a breath is all. Didn't realize how much those ties helped."

Remy nodded in understanding. "It's easy t' f'rget. Jus' try t' keep it low and steady, eh?"

Rogue agreed with a slight inclination of her head, and Remy bent his to work on her left shoe again.

As Rogue sat patiently waiting, monitoring her breathing and enjoying the quiet, Remy was fighting yet another internal battle.

He'd thought that removing Rogue's shoes would be safe territory compared to her ribs, but he was very, very wrong.

As soon as he'd looked up to check on Rogue, he realized how close his face was to her OTHER womanly parts. And despite the fact that neither of them had bathed in three days, she smelled absolutely divine.

The scent of her sex alone was enough to drive him to distraction and again, Remy had to force himself to focus.

His fingers gently worked at the small knots on Rogue's laces, which had practically been cemented into place over the last few days. He was having an immense amount of trouble loosening them and, with the other distraction to his senses invading his brain, he couldn't fathom a single way of untying the laces.

X

Rogue nearly yelped when she felt Remy's lips on her tender calf. With a look of shock and wonder on her face she stared down at him, trying to figure out just what the hell he thought he was doing.

As she peered down at him, however, she realized that he was quite simply trying to untie her shoes… with his TEETH.

The Southern girl bit down hard on her lip as she felt Remy's tongue dance against her sensitive flesh. She knew he was only trying to get her shoes off, but doubted he had any idea what he was doing to her senses.

It took every ounce of her willpower not to moan.

X

Remy felt Rogue tense up as his lips descended on her laces, but did not to look up at her. He knew that his eyes were positively filled with desire right now and he couldn't risk her getting skittish again.

The Cajun used a combination of his teeth, tongue and lips to try and work the ties free, and when the knot was finally loose enough for him to pull apart with his fingers, he grinned triumphantly to himself.

Instantly, he worked on slowly removing the laces from Rogue's calves and inspected every gash and wound carefully as he went. He would have to use the cloth from her dress to pad the wounds and keep them from getting infected. After all, the X-Men would have his hide if he brought Rogue back with gangrene…

In particular, Rogue's 'father figure' Logan would be much less appreciative of Remy bringing her home if she was in such poor condition, and he shuddered at the image of a rabid Wolverine chasing him around the mansion lawns. (S)

Once Rogue's left shoe was off, the Cajun began work on the right. He huffed miserably, however, as he realized that the right laces were just as stubborn as the left ones had been.

Again, he bent his head and started to work on loosening the knot with his teeth, completely missing Rogue's expression of frustration and headiness as her head fell back on her shoulders.

X

This was getting absolutely ridiculous! Why in the world didn't Remy just use the pocketknife to cut the ties off? It would be so much simpler and less torturous!

Rogue didn't know how much more of this she could take. The Acolyte's tongue and lips dancing over her tender flesh was enough to make her crazy! The saltiness of his saliva burned at the little wounds and made her wince, but the combination of the pain from the gashes along with the pleasure of his lips on her skin was nearly enough to make her squirm. As it was, she had to squeeze her lips and thighs together to keep herself from moaning like a banshee.

Silently, she cursed the Cajun for the way he was affecting her.

Little did she know, Remy was, at that very moment, fighting valiantly against his own hormones. His senses were so far gone that he desperately wanted to just take Rogue right then and there.

With growing frustration, he chewed at the ties more roughly as he tried to gnaw them apart. However, the more flustered he became the less efficient he was so the ties were much more of a hassle than they should have been.

After nearly two minutes of struggling with the ties, Remy growled low in his throat and savagely attacked the leather threads, nearly sending Rogue into a meltdown. Her eyes, lips and thighs were all clenched so tightly it looked as if she was in utter agony… which really wasn't too far off.

At long last, the knot came loose and both Remy and Rogue released a quiet sigh of relief. Still, Remy did not look up at Rogue, nor she down at him as he continued carefully unwrapping the ties while she kept her legs carefully locked together.

Once Remy had removed both sandals and carefully examined the many wounds on Rogue's legs, he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out his pocketknife.

"Hold still now _chere_, I don't wanna cut ya," he warned before making a small slit about two inches up from the bottom hem of her dress and cutting horizontally across the fabric.

He held the material away from Rogue's legs to avoid accidentally stabbing her and continued working until he reached the sides of her legs. At that point, he stopped and looked up at her.

"I'm gonna have t' lift y'r legs up on m' shoulders to get the back side, _petite. _Den I'll start a second strip from de back an' cut forward so y' don't have t' move around too much."

Rogue finally opened her eyes and nodded down at the Acolyte, praying that he couldn't see how badly this business was affecting her.

"-Kay," was all she could manage.

With a reassuring smile, Remy gently lifted Rogue's legs from the back of her knees until they came to rest on either side of his head.

And they both instantly realized how awkward the situation really was…

With Rogue's legs held straight and positioned on either side of Remy's shoulders, the Cajun had an absolutely perfect view of Rogue's aforementioned womanly parts.

With a gulp, Rogue tried to squeeze her thighs together as much as humanly possible while Remy cleared his throat and attempted to cut from the last point behind her knees.

Unfortunately, Rogue was squeezing her legs together so tightly that he couldn't see around them to make the cut.

"Uh, Rogue," he spoke softly, "I, uh, I need you to move y'r knees farther apart so I can see the fabric. I can't see over your legs. Need to be able to look under 'em."

Rogue winced and shifted uncomfortably. "Are you… are you sure ya can't do it some other way?"

"I'd have y' stand up, but we can't risk gettin' any dirt in dem blisters and cuts. Sadly, dis is about de only way t' do it."

There was no point in avoiding the big purple elephant now, so Remy bravely forged ahead. "Don't worry none though, I'll keep m' head down like a good boy."

She snorted. "Somehow ah find that hard t' believe."

"Scouts honor," he replied with mock resentment and held up two fingers as he gauged her reaction.

Rogue simply cocked an eyebrow at him. "An what do ya think yer doin' right this very second Cajun?"

"Oops," he replied with pure shame in his voice and quickly ducked his head again – partly to cover his tracks, and partly so she wouldn't see the bit of redness staining his cheeks.

Rogue, however, had not missed the small sign of embarrassment and it simultaneously helped soften her expression ever so slightly while also making the situation a little easier to handle. If Remy was flushing, then he probably wasn't a complete pervert and might actually stick to his word.

Still, she was more than a little nervous about the prospect of trusting him to be a gentleman…

"Ready?" he asked with his head cast straight down at the ground.

Rogue drew a deep breath, closed her eyes and replied, "Ready," before sliding her legs farther apart on Remy's shoulders.

Instantly, Remy began sawing away furiously, determined to get this over and done with as fast as possible.

True to his word, he kept his eyes on both his fingers and the blade throughout the process without once letting his gaze stray from his task.

When both strips were finally cut, he gently removed Rogue's legs from his shoulders and let them hang down safely once again; her dress now shortened by another four inches above the knees.

Rogue opened her eyes, unconvinced that it could be over so quickly. '_Well,' _she thought, '_that wasn't as bad as I thought it would be._'

While Rogue examined the new length of her dress, Remy quickly picked up all the dress scraps, both old and new, and vaulted up almost at a sideways angle, standing just behind and to the side of the girl.

"I'm uh, gonna take dese down t' de river t' wash 'fore I wrap yer legs. Don't want 'em t' get infected or nothin'. Stay here, I'll be back soon."

And with that, he was gone as quickly and silently as his legs could carry him.

X

Rogue wasn't certain how long she'd been sitting on that rock, but it seemed like quite a long time now. In fact, she'd been sitting for so long that she was starting to worry about Gambit.

What if Apocalypse or the guards had caught him somehow? Would he tell them where she was, or refuse to give up her hiding place?

What if he was tortured?!?!

What type of man WAS he anyhow? Was he the strong, brooding and relentlessly stubborn type - like Wolverine - who refused to give up any information no matter the cost or pain? Or, was he like Kitty and the other girls at the mansion, who squealed like piglets when they sensed the slightest bit of danger?

She doubted Remy would give her up easily – after all, he'd gone to great lengths to keep her alive and comfortable up to now – but how far would he go to keep her from Apocalypse? Especially if they came face to face a second time? After all, during their first encounter, Remy had nearly given her straight over to the maniac without a second thought.

The memory had Rogue rather worried. Was Remy … it was 'LeBeau,' right? … the type of man who put on a good show and pretended to be tough and heroic while faced with trivial dangers and obstacles? Or, was he the type of man who really WAS tough, heroic and brave, no matter what the situation may be?

If he was the former, and they were faced with Apocalypse again before the new moon, Rogue knew she'd be doomed. However, if he was the later and was as brave and chivalrous as he seemed to be, Rogue doubted she could find a better traveling companion.

She gnawed quietly on her lower lip and glanced around the clearing again. She really did hope he came back soon…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

With a large tray in his hands, Piotr Rasputin carefully made his way down the hall as he tried not to let his soup spill.

Dressed in a nice pair of black slacks and a dark green polo shirt instead of his typical uniform or jeans, the large man paused to maintain his balance as the liquid sloshed dangerously close to the top of the bowl.

The tray he carried was fancy, far too fancy for such a simple meal, but he did want to make an impression. The tray was made of fine silver with large, ornate handles and a faint floral pattern etched into the bottom. He hoped that Kitty would appreciate the extra effort and his knack for paying attention to detail - the bowl holding the soup in question was pale pink with a line of small blue flowers adorning the rim. He figured that she **probably** liked pink and would therefore like the bowl even if she didn't care for the meal – which he hoped she did.

Finally, he was standing before her door and he swallowed hard, afraid she would be offended or upset by his gesture. Before he could chicken out though, he moved the tray to one hand and rapped on the door lightly, not wanting to wake her if she was asleep.

"Yeah?" she called from behind the door, confirming that she was not yet resting.

"Katya? It is Piotr, er Peter… Rasputin. Colossus," he stammered as his nerves started getting the best of him. "May I… may I enter?"

"Uh, sure Pete. Come on in."

She sounded a bit irritated and he began to wonder if he should have even gone through with this plan. But, steeling himself for the worst, he carefully grasped the door handle and pushed it open.

Kitty was still sitting in the same spot he'd left her in two hours ago, but was slumped so far down in her chair it looked like she was going to fall out of it.

The very end of her ponytail hung over the back of the chair and her nose was nearly even with the keyboard as she stared up at the screen. Only her shoulders were really on the chair and her legs were braced against the wall to keep her from sliding out from under the desk.

It looked horribly uncomfortable.

Piotr took a few steps into the room with the tray in his hands and waited for the girl to acknowledge his presence.

"What's up Pete? Do you need something?" she asked without taking her eyes from the screen.

Her reaction to his presence was confusing. Earlier, she'd been happy to talk to him and had given him her rapt attention despite being so busy with her project. But now it was almost as if she was displeased with him.

Realization dawned as he noticed the plate from the Pop Tarts he'd brought her earlier. It was pushed aside and there was scarcely even a crumb left upon it. She HAD said she was famished, and yet, all he had brought her was a measly breakfast dessert.

Piotr cleared his throat apologetically. "I am sorry for the poor snack I delivered to you earlier, but I did not want you to starve while I prepared lunch."

The aroma from the soup must have hit her nose as he explained because he heard Kitty sniff the air like a Bloodhound as he spoke. Her head instantly whipped around to stare greedily at the silver tray. She couldn't see what was ON it because of her current posture, but her eyes went wide as she pushed herself out from under the desk.

WHUMP!

As soon as her feet had left the wall, her precarious balance on the chair was compromised and she fell flat on her backside.

Piotr resisted the urge to drop the tray and rush to her aide and carefully placed it on the desk first.

"Are you all right?" he asked, bending over to lend her a hand.

Kitty stared up at the large Acolyte as she tried to figure out what had just happened.

Oh yeah…

Blushing furiously, she sat up hastily and took Piotr's outstretched hand. Once she was standing again, she brushed the invisible dirt from her Capri's and cleared her throat.

"Wow. That was like, totally embarrassing."

The Russian smiled down at her. "Do not be embarrassed, I am very large and not very graceful – it iz not a good combination."

Kitty smiled, but the blush still did not leave her face as she stared down at the floor instead of meeting his eyes.

"I have," he stammered again, "I brought you food, er… lunch. Zat is, I have brought you soup… that is lunch. Here."

Piotr resisted the urge to smack himself in the forehead as he motioned to the tray.

Within milliseconds, Kitty was standing right over the bowl and sniffing it with abandon. Her little nose worked on the scent furiously as her eyes scrunched in concentration.

"Do you… do you not like it?" The large Acolyte was also blushing now – convinced that he had messed up horribly and displeased the sweet girl.

With her eyes still firmly shut, Kitty shook her head in the negative. "No, it's not that. It smells delicious! It's just that it's so … familiar. I can't place my finger on it."

With a small, almost relieved smile, Piotr sighed softly and stepped closer to the tray, using a lavish silver spoon to stir and scoop up a bit of the soup.

"Here," he suggested, "vhy not see if it also TASTES familiar."

Piotr Rasputin's heart was beating rapidly. He hadn't felt this much anticipation or anxiety since his first meeting with Magneto over a year ago. Even battle did not fuel this much adrenaline within him! He was terribly nervous that Kitty would hate the soup, but the fact that he was trying something so bold as to actually FEED it to her was positively pulse-pounding!

Kitty swallowed nervously, but smiled as she obediently kept her eyes closed and nodded. She tried not to let herself wonder about the intimate implications of the situation and instead concentrated on where she had smelled such a divine aroma.

Then, as she opened her mouth, she wondered if the dish was Kosher and suppressed a grimace. Was it a sin to eat non-Kosher food if you didn't KNOW if it was Kosher? Taking a deep breath, she forced herself to relax, unscrunched her face, and waited patiently for Peter to make his move.

Piotr tried – for the third time – to keep his soup in the spoon. As he lifted the delicate silver away from the bowl, however, his quivering hand caused the liquid to slosh out once again.

Sighing, he steeled his nerves, scooped up yet another spoonful and lifted it to the girl's mouth.

Kitty almost gasped as she finally felt the warm spoon touch her lower lip and, as she sipped the broth into her mouth, her eyes popped open in disbelief.

"No way!"

The sudden outburst startled Piotr tremendously and he nearly fell on his behind. Thankfully, he only dropped the spoon, which was quickly snatched up by Kitty before it even hit the ground.

After seizing the AWOL silverware, Kitty immediately lunged for the entire bowl of soup - completely forgetting about the large Russian who was still staring at her in disbelief.

She slurped up a bit more broth before closing her eyes and sighing in ecstasy. Lost in her own private heaven, the girl began shoveling soup into her mouth, pausing only to chew an occasional large white ball of bread-like dough.

Meanwhile, Piotr continued to stare at the small girl in amazed amusement.

Kitty released an almost indecent sigh and paused in her feeding spree to mutter three little words that sent Piotr's heart rate soaring.

"Oh. My. God."

Slowly, a giant smile split Kitty's face and she lunged at Peter, throwing her arms around his neck.

At first, the large Russian was so shocked he simply froze. Gradually though, he began to recover and slowly relaxed into her embrace. After another minute, Kitty still hadn't moved away and he felt a damp warmth seeping into his shirt.

"Katya?" he asked, trying to pull away slightly, "Are you all right?"

He tugged the trembling girl away from his torso and bent to examine her face.

Her cheeks were flushed light pink and streaked with fresh tears. Her blue eyes glistened as more tears spilled over her face and down her nose; yet still she smiled. It was watery and weary, but still a smile.

"Katya, what is wrong? I zought ze soup waz to your liking?" Piotr was tempted to scratch his head in confusion, but the girl once again wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face in his shirt.

"I – I'm sorry," she started, "I just… It's **really** good."

She finally dared to look up at him and smiled again before ducking her head shyly once again.

"I haven't had Matza Ball Soup since… forever. My Grams used to make it for me when we'd go to her place for Hanukah. I'd tell her about all the things that happened in the last year and we'd eat it together while we talked. She made the best Matza Ball Soup I've ever had."

A sniffle interrupted her for a moment.

"For a minute there," she continued, "I felt like I was 10 years old again and unloading all my fears and worries with my Grams."

She gently raised her head and met Peter's gaze.

"Thank you," Kitty whispered.

Despite the fact that Peter was crouched over, she still had to stand on tiptoe to place a chaste kiss on the Russian's cheek.

She sniffled again, blushing as she ducked her head again. "Thanks."

"Uh…" Piotr was at a loss for words momentarily. "I… Uh. Of course. It is my pleasure. Please, sit and enjoy it."

With an embarrassed giggle, the suddenly timid girl followed Peter's hand gesture and took a seat at her desk, pushing her laptop aside as she pulled the ornate bowl close.

"May I help read a few web pages while you eat?" he asked politely.

Kitty had already absorbed herself in the soup once more and nodded eagerly as she took another mouthful.

Piotr gently lifted the laptop from the desk and, finding nowhere else to sit, placed himself somewhat awkwardly on the edge of her bed.

As Kitty ate quietly, Piotr read through page after page of Google hits as he tried to find anything useful on Apocalypse.

X

About half an hour later, Kitty finally sighed contentedly and slowly crawled up to sit next to Peter on the bed. With her feet tucked beneath her, she sat beside him and read over his shoulder as he analyzed each individual web page.

Within five minutes she was sound asleep, her head resting heavily on Piotr's shoulder. The Russian felt the girl's head drop onto his arm, but he simply smiled and continued reading.

When a soft snore emanated from her lips, however, Piotr knew she wouldn't be waking anytime soon. He shifted uncomfortably.

He knew he should move her to a more comfortable position, yet he was more afraid touching the girl than facing Apocalypse.

Cautiously, he placed the laptop on the nearby desk and turned slightly so Kitty's head dropped against his chest. Placing his arm around her back, he supported her neck in the crook of his arm and slowly laid her down on the bed.

Standing up, he looked at the girl's legs – bent oddly underneath her – and cringed. With a slow, steady hand he gently pried her feet out from under her. Unfortunately, this caused her feet to slump off the bed and Piotr sighed.

Boy was she ever a heavy sleeper!

Piotr gently hooked his arms under Kitty's neck and knees and lifted her easily, placing her properly on the bed with her head against the pillows.

With a small smile, he picked up the laptop once again and began reading as Kitty slept beside him.

XXXXXX

It was about three in the afternoon when Todd and Freddy finally made it outside to survey their 'project.' So far, it consisted of a large pile of wood and nothing else. Still, the boys were proud of their accomplishment. They had spent the better part of the last three hours (the awoke at noon, after all) finding, chopping, and carrying wood.

Fred had done most of the carrying and chopping while Todd had picked out the best trees on Xavier's lot (two so far) and had also drawn a picture of what he thought the memorial should look like.

Quite surprisingly, the picture had turned out rather well. It consisted of a small pillar, almost a column, with an inscription (he hadn't decided what to say yet) carved into the front. Atop the pillar was a dove, relatively small, but it appeared grand and proud as it spread it's wings to fly away.

Todd smiled at the drawing. Yeah, that was probably a good representation of Rogue. He thought that she herself would like the simplicity of the column, as she was never one for fancy, elaborate things. The dove wasn't large or overpowering either. It was small, almost life-like on the paper, and the way it appeared to fly was just as Lance had said it. "She can fly free now."

Todd jotted the phrase down on the paper. "Fly Free." It was simple, tasteful and only those who were ever truly friends with Rogue would understand.

Most people didn't think Todd Tolanski was very smart (he wasn't really), or deep (he wasn't really that either), but he was definitely a sentimentalist. And, no matter what, he really did care for his friends. Even if they weren't such good friends anymore. Which is why he knew he had to do this.

Even in Xavier ordered a nice, elaborate marker for Rogue, at least she would know that she had more friends than just at the Institute. After all, a home-made gift was far better than a purchased one right?

"Are… Are you Todd Tolanski?" someone asked, startling Todd from his reverie.

A man dressed in blue coveralls and a blue cap reading "Modern Masterpiece," was standing next to Todd. He carried a clipboard and was looking back and forth from the paper in front of him to the boy.

"Huh?" Todd blinked and finally nodded. "Oh, uh yeah. That's me. I'm Toa – er, Todd. Todd Tolanski. Heh heh."

The man cocked an eyebrow, but shrugged and handed the clipboard and a pen over to Todd.

"Sign here please."

Todd signed.

"Thank you very much Mr. Tolanski, I hope you find the specimen to your liking."

Todd's eyes furrowed together and his nose turned upward as if he had just smelled himself.

"What…"

At that moment, two other men came forward, wheeling a large cart with a giant white rock atop it.

Todd's eyes shot open.

"Whoa! Freddy, hey! Get a load of this!!" Todd hopped over to where the men slowly brought the cart to a stop and steadied their giant load.

"This is awesome man! This is for me? Uh, I mean, us?" Todd asked, his eyes dancing with excitement.

The man with the clipboard checked the name again and shook his head in disbelief. "That's… that's what it says. Deliver to Todd Tolanski, East Lawn at Xavier Institute, Bayville, New York."

"WHOA!" Fred exclaimed. It's like they KNEW what we were doing!! That's so crazy!"

As the man helped the other two unload the giant stone and before they left Todd stopped him.

"Uh, yo man, what… what IS it?"

"Excuse me?" The man took off his hat – he had graying red hair which was balding in the front – and wiped his forehead with his sleeve.

"What IS it?" Todd asked again. "Is it just a big white rock or what?"

The man rolled his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You've gotta be kidding me. It's freakin' MARBLE kid. Expensive as hell and heavier than that. Shit, YOU bought the stuff and you don't even know what it is?? Christ!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!!!" Todd exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.

Fred did the same, and the load of wood he'd been carrying clattered to the ground.

"Yo man, we didn't pay for no marble! YOU brought it to us! We didn't BUY it!! Honest!"

Both boys took a step back.

The man cursed under his breath. "That just freakin' figures. Now we gotta load it back in the truck! Son of a …"

He stormed back to where the other two men stood cursing and sweating and the three of them lifted the giant stone back onto the cart.

As they were wheeling it back to their truck, however, they were stopped by none other than Charles Xavier himself.

"Excuse me gentlemen," the Professor started, "I believe there has been a misunderstanding."

The red/gray haired man stopped and glared at the Professor. "And who are you?" he asked snidely.

"I am Professor Charles Xavier. This is my school, and that," he pointed at the slab of marble, "is the marble I purchased for these boys to make a memorial."

The man snorted and looked at Todd and Fred, their hands still held high in the air.

"Oh yeah, a memorial for what? Their long lost intelligence?" The man smiled as the other two workers snorted.

"No," Xavier corrected politely, "they are building a memorial for a friend – one of MY students – who passed away recently."

"Oh," was all the man had to say.

Quietly, the three men wheeled the marble back over to Todd and Fred (who, thanks to a mental nudge from Xavier, had put their hands down at last), and with much grunting and groaning, deposited the enormously heavy slab on the ground.

"Actually," Todd spoke up, I think I want it right over here." He hopped about five feet away, toward a shady spot under a tree.

The men groaned, but lifted the object regardless and placed it under the tree.

"No, no, no," Freddy exclaimed, "You can't put it THERE Toad, the birds will poop on it!"

"Oh, man, you're right, yo! How about…" he hopped to another spot a few feet away from the tree, "right here."

The men dragged the marble near Toad again.

"Naw, man, this spot is better, it gets more sunlight." Fred countered.

The men looked at Xavier, who nodded, and they dragged the marble near Fred.

When the men were done, the boys sat and examined the marble and the setting for a moment.

"You know where the perfect spot would be?" Xavier said quietly.

Everyone turned to look at him – the men in disbelief and the boys with admiration.

"Over there," he pointed toward the sunniest point near the middle of the lawn, "where we can all see it from our windows."

The boys nodded in agreement, but the red/gray haired man took off his cap and folded his arms.

"Forget the friggin' tip, pal," he exclaimed furiously, "You want the damn thing over there, you move it yourself."

With that, he started to storm away.

Freddy simply shrugged his shoulders. "Okay," he replied, and picked up the marble slab with ease, carried it the twenty-five feet across the lawn and dropped it on the spot Xavier mentioned.

The men from "Modern Masterpieces" simply gawked before swearing like bandits and stomping off the grounds.

"Well," Todd exclaimed, "we certainly won't be doing business with THEM again."

Xavier smiled at the boys, "Certainly not."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

As Xavier excused himself to go back to his study, Sabertooth, who stumbled through the doors half drunk, met him in the foyer.

The man was completely bloody, his fur encrusted with dried patches in various spots, and by the permanent snarl on his face, he was more than a little ticked off. Presumably at Wolverine…

"Where is he?!" Sabertooth growled at the Professor.

Xavier played dumb (not an easy task for him).

"I'm sorry, to whom are you referring?" he asked.

"Don't friggin' play games with me Gramps, I'll…" Sabertooth threatened.

"You'll what, Creed?" Magneto descended the staircase just above the foyer with a very angry look on his face.

"Well," he asked again, "You'll do what??" Magneto's eyes narrowed menacingly as metallic objects – furniture, picture frames, mirrors – throughout the room began hovering in the air.

"Nothin'." Sabertooth replied. "I ain't gonna do nothin'."

The objects settled back to their original positions.

"That is what I thought," Magneto agreed. "Now go outside and wait while I collect Pyro and Collosus. We're going to Egypt."

Sabertooth grunted something under his breath, but, regardless, trudged outside to wait.

Xavier looked up at Eric. "You will all be going then?"

Eric shook his head. "I'm leaving the Brotherhood here in Bayville. It's probably safer – for MY team anyhow." He offered Xavier a small smile. "I'll report anything we find directly to your team here at the mansion."

"And we shall do the same," Xavier agreed, "Good luck old friend."

"Same to you Charles. I'm sorry we'll be missing the services tomorrow. You know you have my condolences though, don't you?"

A wary look passed over Xavier's face and he sighed. "Of course Eric. And I will keep looking for Gambit. I just hope we find him in time. Perhaps he was able to escape."

Eric nodded, still smiling. "Ah, yes. Gambit is very adept at that sort of thing, I'm sure if anyone can escape harm's way it will be him."

Xavier nodded and returned a brief smile before gazing down at the floor, momentarily overcome with emotion.

Immediately, Eric Lensherr was kneeling on the ground beside his oldest and dearest friend. "Charles, it wasn't your fault. You did what you could. The only thing left to do is find a way to stop him and avenge her."

Xavier smiled forlornly at Eric. "Ah my friend, perhaps someday you, too, will know what it's like to fail saving someone you love."

Giving Eric a thankful pat on the shoulder, the Professor excused himself, wheeling to the elevator, which would take him back to the sanctuary of his study.

As Xavier left, Eric stood, a wistful smile crossing his features as he heard the distinctive laugh of the Scarlet Witch.

"Ah, my friend. Don't you know? I already have."

XXXXX

A soft knock on the door broke Elizabeth Braddock from her thoughts. With one last look at the lonely, sad picture of the X-Men's lost teammate, she plastered a warm, welcoming smile on her face and called out to the visitor.

"Please, come in."

A small, young boy with tousled brown hair and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pajamas peeked around the door.

'Ah, this must be Jamie,' she thought.

"Come in dear, please don't be shy."

Little Jamie offered the woman a timid smile and slowly came closer.

He looked around the room, amazed by the difference she had made to the small area in such a short time.

The twin bed had been pushed against the far wall, just beneath the window and a small chest of drawers took up what was left of the limited wall space. Atop the chest were numerous candles and a stick of incense. He thought it could be lavender, but he wasn't sure.

Two overstuffed chairs had been placed nonchalantly in the middle of the room and a box of tissues and a trashcan were placed next to one of the chairs.

Jamie bit his lip. Was HE going to cry? Again? Did she already know how he was feeling and have the foresight to place the items there just for him or was it for anyone who needed them?

"Are you Jamie?" the British woman asked at last and the young boy snapped his attention back to her.

He immediately noticed how well-educated and polished she appeared. Her long purple-black hair was pulled into a neat bun and she wore a pair of square-framed glasses that made her look all the more formidable.

"Oh, uh, yeah. I mean, yes. That's me. I'm Jamie." He gave her an embarrassed smile.

She removed her glasses and Jamie nearly sighed in relief. Then he nearly choked on his own oxygen. Had she just read his mind??

"Just so you know, I am not a telepath like the Professor," Dr. Braddock assured him. "I have telepathic abilities, but I cannot go traipsing through your head at will. The Professor gave me a quick briefing on all of his students. I just made an educated guess."

Still, Jamie seemed unsure.

Dr. Braddock continued.

"I'm also very adept at reading body language. I can see you're a bit anxious right now by the way your shoulders are slumped and your eyes won't really meet mine."

Jamie's gaze jerked up to meet hers. "You can really tell all that?!?" He stared at her apprehensively.

She nodded, a small smile upon her lips.

"Oh," Jamie replied, "That's cool." He relaxed a bit, but still stood awkwardly next to the tissue chair.

After another moment of silence Jamie finally spoke up again. "So uh, what IS your power then?"

Dr. Braddock quirked an eyebrow and smiled at him mysteriously.

"Have a seat, I'll show you."

Now feeling a little more anticipation than anxiety, Jamie sat obediently as Dr. Braddock rose from her desk and sat in the other chair.

Gradually, as not to startle the boy, Betsy formed a small ball of purple light in her hand and let it grow until it was long, thin and slightly curved.

Jamie's eyes grew with it. "WHOA!" he exclaimed. "That is SO cool! Can you cut people in half with that thing?!"

Betsy laughed politely, but shook her head. "No. That I cannot do. This sword is called a katan; it's an ancient Japanese weapon. With this, I could do many things – even kill someone – but I cannot physically cut them."

Jamie continued to stare at the glowing weapon, entranced by it.

"It's a psychic knife. It works more on a person's mind than on their body."

The awe melted slowly from Jamie's face and was replaced by confusion. "It's a Japanese weapon? But you're not Japanese, you're British."

Betsy smiled again. "You are correct. I am British. I just fancy the katan, which is why I choose for it to form instead of anything else. The katan is more of a symbol for my own sense of self. It has a great and proud history like my own family. It is sleek and elegant, yet powerful and dangerous; much as I can be – when necessary. Plus, I have a few Japanese connections of my own."

She winked.

Jamie gulped and Betsy let the sword disintegrate.

"I was not ALWAYS a councilor, after all." Again, she smiled at Jamie mysteriously and he dared not ask for an explanation.

"So uh, how does this thing work?" he questioned, shifting to a more comfortable position.

"However you'd like it to," Besty explained. "Some people like to get started by answering questions, some just cry, and others simply need someone with whom they can speak with openly and without judgement."

"Oh."

Betsy smiled again, reassuring him. "So what was your relationship to Rogue? Were you close?"

Jamie bit his lip and stared at the ground. "Not, uh, not really. She wasn't really close to anyone, but I, uh, I always felt like she was looking out for me."

"Really?"

Jamie looked up at Betsy. "Yeah. There was this one time when the other boys were picking on me and saying I couldn't play football with them because I wasn't big or strong enough. Rogue came sauntering out of the trees – she really liked it in there because it was dark and stuff – and she told 'em that she figured I could do more damage than any of them, even without powers, because I could run faster and dodge everyone better than they could."

Jamie's face glowed with pride. "She said that I would make a great football player – especially a quarterback. Whatever that is...."

"That is a great way to remember her. It seems to me like you've gotten this thing mostly figured out already." Betsy assured him.

"I do?" Jamie regarded Dr. Braddock quizzically.

"Yes. You've decided to see the good things – the good times you did have – instead of the bad ones. You have chosen to make the best of things instead of letting your grief get the best of you."

"Oh," Jamie pondered her response for a moment. "Wow. I guess I have. Thanks."

He started to get up when Betsy interrupted him. "Jamie?"

The boy turned, a small, but wary smile on his face. "Yeah?"

"Was there anything ELSE you wanted to know? Wanted to ask me maybe?"

Jamie swallowed abruptly.

"Oh, uh, well. I just uh, wanted to know if… I wanted to know if it's okay to NOT be sad all the time. 'Cause, like, Kurt and Scott are just really down - I mean REALLY down - all the time and I'm not… Is something wrong with me?"

Betsy smiled at the boy again and shook her head slowly. "No, Jamie. There is nothing 'wrong' with you. Tell me this: if you were in Rogue's place, would you want everyone to be sad all the time?"

Jamie shook his head no. "Well, no. But I… I wouldn't want people to forget me either. I would want to know that I … that I mattered to them."

Betsy nodded and smiled. "Then show Rogue how you felt – you can make a card, write a story, play football – just do something to show her spirit – wherever it may be - that she mattered to you, and then be happy for her and for yourself."

Jamie smiled – large and genuine – and nodded.

"Thanks Dr. Braddock. I feel a lot better now."

"Betsy, please. Dr. Braddock is far too formal. And I'm glad I could be of assistance. Please come back and see me if you have any more questions. I'd love to chat with you."

Jamie nodded again and left, thinking about what he was going to do for Rogue.

XXXX

As Jamie left Betsy's office, he nearly ran into both Bobby and Sam, who were in a heated debate over which of them were going in first.

"No way, man. YOU go first," Sam hissed. "Ah ain't used to high class gals like that. Ah'll trip over mah own tongue!"

"Well at least YOU'LL be able t' say something!" Bobby retorted. "I'll just sit there mumbling like a dumbass and stare at the floor!"

Sam scoffed and folded his arms. "Pfft. With all the luck YOU have with gals, she'll prob'ly find it adorable."

"Oh yeah, well I'm sure you'll find some way to use that stupid southern accent to get yourself some appreciation. I don't understand why all the girls around here find that so… ugh."

"Well YOU'VE got those dang blue eyes and blonde hair that all the gals find so … sexy … or something!" Sam retorted, his voice rising rapidly.

"So do YOU!" he retorted, but was stopped from saying anything more by none other than Dr. Braddock herself.

The British woman was leaned against the frame of the open door with a coy smile. Her purple-black hair seemed to glow in the bright lights of the hall.

Neither boy said a word.

"Let me see," Betsy began, looking first to Cannonball. "Southern accent, tall, athletic, and handsome yet awkward – you must be Mr. Guthrie."

Dr. Braddock awarded him a small smile and Sam nearly melted. Then she turned to Bobby, looking him up and down as well.

"Hmm… Smartly dressed, well poised and spoken – obviously upper class background – muscular, yet slim. Robert Drake, yes?"

Bobby simply nodded.

Betsy stepped away from the door and gracefully extended her arm, silently ushering the boys inside.

They followed, dumbstruck.

Once inside, however, Bobby and Sam immediately began feeling self-conscious again. They looked around the room, at the floor, the desk, the chairs, the bed – everywhere but at Dr. Braddock or each other.

The councilor walked to where the bed was pushed against the wall, her stiletto's muted by the beige carpet.

Her movements were so fluid and graceful that the boys couldn't help but stare. They both knew it was impolite, but were so entranced by this mysterious woman that they really didn't care.

Betsy strode over to the bed and sat down, crossing her legs casually. Even that simple movement caused her long black skirt to ride up along her knee and the boys' eyes were instantly drawn to the expanse of creamy, exotic skin.

They gulped.

"Please," Betsy said, still smiling, "have a seat."

They sat, one on each chair.

"Now," she began, clearly amused by the reaction she was causing. "Sam, Bobby – I presume you are both here to talk about Rogue?"

They nodded.

"Were you all close?" she asked, making eye contact with first one boy, then the other.

Bobby simply shrugged, his tongue too large to utter a single syllable at the moment.

Sam's face screwed up a little and he finally looked away from Dr. Braddock and turned his gaze to the floor. "Not really, ah guess. Ah mean, nobody was really ever CLOSE t' Rogue. It, uh, it just wasn't possible, y' see. If she WAS close t' anyone, it was Kurt and Kitty."

"Well, and she had a crush on Scott, too." Bobby added, finally able to speak.

"What?" Sam turned to his friend, dumbfounded.

"Yeah, didn't you know?" Bobby continued, "He's pretty much like, the reason she joined the X-Men in the first place. She really liked him, even asked him out once, until he and Jean got together officially."

Sam just blinked.

"Are yah… are yah serious?" Sam seemed unable to get his head around the concept.

Bobby nodded, yet he seemed a little disappointed, too.

"Dang," Sam exclaimed. "Ah'm sure glad ah never asked her out lahke ah was gonna. Eventually. Maybe."

Bobby's head whipped around to stare at his friend. "Seriously man?" His eyebrows shot up in surprise before he slowly smiled. "I uh, I kinda wanted to, too."

"Oh yeah?" Sam questioned.

Bobby nodded again. "Yeah, man. I mean, she was … pretty… I guess – in her own way. And she woulda been a total knockout if she'd just not worn all that makeup and stuff. I never asked her out because… Well, because I thought she'd hurt me."

Betsy had to stifle a rather unladylike snort, but her presence was barely even registering to the boys anymore.

Sam smiled back at Bobby. "Ah know whatcha mean. She was one tough gal. Not one t' mess with – especially when she was mad!"

Laughing, Bobby recalled the incident when they were rebuilding the mansion. "Yeah, remember when Spike almost skewered her? If it hadn't been for his skateboard and Ororo, I doubt he would have made it out of there alive!"

Sam laughed, "Course, y' know what beats that one, right?"

Bobby shook his head no.

"That time she stranded you out on the lawn naked." The Southerner was laughing hard, but was also shaking his head – as if he didn't WANT to remember the event.

The other boy's face went red.

"That was sure a hoot," Sam went on. "And the gals here didn't seem to mind the show one bit – although," he sobered, "ah sure coulda done without it…"

And, despite his embarrassment, Bobby laughed in spite of himself. "Yeah. She really DID get me good, didn't she?"

Both boys chuckled for a moment or two when Sam suddenly got serious again. "So, uh, why didn't yah ever ask her out, anyhow?"

Bobby shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I was just too intimidated to make a move. You?"

"Ah guess ah was just chicken too – Rogue's just, ah don't know – a whole different type a gal from the ones here. Not that the girls here ain't great an' all, but … she just seemed like there was more to her than she ever let on, ya know?"

Another nod.

Sam sat back against the cushions, deep in thought. "Like, ah wouldn't doubt it if once she gets over her powers, she ain't a total knockout. Then we'll REALLY wish we woulda asked her out."

"I already do," Bobby answered quietly.

Sam looked to his friend, surprised that he was feeling the same thing right now.

"I just," Bobby started, "I wish that I'd had the guts before – not really for MY sake, but … for hers. I feel like if I'd asked her out – maybe been her boyfriend or something – I would have noticed that something was wrong before it was too late."

"So do ah, pal."

Both boys sat in silence for a moment before Betsy finally felt that it was time for her to speak up.

"So, you both wish you would have acted sooner, yet even now you have yet to learn from your mistakes."

The boys stared up at Dr. Braddock quizzically.

"Are there things you wish to do – right now – that you don't dare do for sake of rejection," she looked to Bobby, "or simply because you find the prospect risky? You are, for all accounts and purposes, X-Men. You are trained to take risks others can't or won't and you do it with little worry for your physical health. Yet, when it comes to matters of your own heart, you fail to do what you know should simply because you fear being hurt."

Two mouths hung open, gaping at the attractive councilor.

"Well," Betsy finished, getting up to open the door, "if you want my advice, go out, risk your hearts and LEARN something from your mistakes with Rogue." With that, she nodded to the boys and smiled calmly as they left – confused, yet somehow satisfied.

"Ah definitely learned one thing from Rogue," Sam said as they left Dr. Braddock's office. "Do not mess with that gal. She doesn't take crap from anyone!"

XXX

Rogue sighed as she waited – impatiently – for Remy to return from washing the torn scraps of her dress. She warily tugged at what was left of her dress and sighed. It was about the same length as her black skirt back home, but had none of its security. It wasn't so much the fact that the dress was now shorter, but that she had absolutely NOTHING besides that dress to provide her any personal protection. She had no decent shoes, no tights, and no underwear – because, well, Apocalypse hadn't planned on her needing any.

She shuddered. It was bad enough being powerless out her with Remy, but with her dress getting shorter and shorter by the day…

She could only imagine what was taking him so long.

X

Remy took a deep breath and tried to relax a little. He had FINALLY finished washing the scraps of Rogue's dress – after all, it had taken him awhile to get them satisfactorily cleaned. And, he'd taken his sweet time too. Pursuant to the debacle that was cutting off the scraps, he'd needed a while to calm himself down.

What he REALLY needed was a cold shower, but Rogue would probably know what was going on if he came back soaking wet. Besides, he didn't have time for that sort of thing and he wasn't the type who liked to get his own hands dirty… at least, when it came to THAT.

Ah, what he wouldn't give for a beautiful girl to come sauntering through the woods right now… He could just imagine it - a gorgeous, fair skinned forest nymph would step lightly through the brush, speak his name in her low, sweet voice, and rid him of all his worries and frustrations.

So entranced was he in his fantasy, he could practically hear her calling him… right now…

"Remy?"

He turned, half expecting to find himself going mad and imagining things, and half expecting to actually see a beautiful forest nymph standing in the sunlight, ready to take him into her arms…

And… there she was! He blinked to make sure it wasn't just a figment of his imagination. Yet, there she stood in a small clearing just beside the river, her auburn hair glistening brightly in the sun, her perfect pearl-white skin practically glowing as it absorbed the rays…

But, instead of a dress of leaves and grass, she wore a black dress and was carrying… were those shoes… and a coat? Wait…

Shit**.**

"Rogue!" Remy tried to push all of his other thoughts and … feelings** …**aside as he dropped the scraps on the rock, stood, and hurried toward her.

"What the hell are you doin' out here wit'out y'r shoes!? Y' wanna get gangrene or somethin'?"

Instead of looking angry or put out though, Rogue's face was a picture of peace and serenity as she placed the coat and shoes on the ground.

"Ah got worried about you – thought maybe Apocalypse found ya or somethin' – so I came lookin'."

Remy took a deep breath to calm himself and touched her arm – and felt his fingers practically burst into pleasant, tingly flames…

Was shethat warm, or was it him?God, he hoped it wasn't him… Better yet, he hoped she couldn't feel it too.

-

Rogue bit her lip to keep from gasping as Remy touched her shoulder - he was practically vibrating warmth and, well, just vibrating…

"Remy, are you okay? What's wrong with your hand? It feels kinda funny."

Remy swallowed, trying to figure out some kind of cover story. He smiled reassuringly. "Huh? Oh, yeah. It gets that way sometimes when I uh… get cold. Yeah. I've been washing the scraps in the river and my hands got cold, so uh, I made them warmer."

"You mean you used your powers?" Rogue was starting to look a little angry now…

"Oh! Uh, no. I mean, kinda, but don't worry, it's more of a latent thing than an actual power. I can't even really control it. It's uh, it's kinda like my eyes. Just always there…"

He waited expectantly to see if she was buying it.

Rogue smiled sweetly, almost coyly even, and nodded. He smiled back – whether it was of his own accord, or in response to her was debatable.

Rogue shifted – toward HIM maybe – but then wobbled, instinctively grabbing him to steady herself.

Remy responded too late to be of any help, but held onto her arms regardless.

"You okay?" he asked, concern smoothing out the husky tones in his voice.

"Hmm," she responded noncommittally, "guess ah just need t' sit and soak mah feet a bit. That water looks mighty refreshing…"

"Consider it done." And, with that, he gently scooped her up and leapt from one rock to another until he reached the perfect sitting spot.

There were a few large rocks near the middle of the river which each sat about two or so feet above the lazy, gently flowing river and Remy deposited Rogue on one of the rocks before getting comfortable on another.

He folded his legs up under him to keep his feet from getting wet while Rogue let her toes dangle in the water.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, still staring down at the water, "That water IS cold!"

Remy nodded, watching her with a goofy smile plastered across his face.

Rogue chanced a look at him and, seeing said smile, bit her lip while ducking her head.

"So, uh, what was takin' so long out here?" she asked, presumably enthralled by the flow of the river.

"Huh? Oh, uh…" Remy stuttered, trying to find an acceptable answer. He couldn't very well tell her that he'd needed some **personal **time and… Was he STARING at her???

Forcing himself to look away from Rogue and toward the trees, he tried to think rationally. "Oh, uh, I couldn't uh… get the berry stains out." He hoped she was buying all of his B.S.

"Oh." Rogue blushed, recalling her berry-eating binge.

"It's okay though," he reassured her, "they look fine now." He looked back to make sure the rags were still on the rock where he'd left them.

He sighed in relief when he saw them. Rogue would KILL him if he lost all those pieces!

They sat in silence for a few moments before Rogue spoke up again – almost timidly this time.

"So uh, what were you thinkin' about while you were washin' em? Y' looked pretty lost in thought."

"You." His response was so automatic that it caught HIM off guard and he had to back-track quickly to keep Rogue from hitting him.

"Uh, that is, your situation. I mean, OUR situation. I mean, like how we're going to get food and adequate shelter and all that. That's what I mean…"

Rogue pursed her lips together to keep from laughing at him. She'd NEVER seen him this flustered before and she knew exactly why he was acting so strangely.

Men.

She wasn't stupid. After all, it had taken HER plenty of time to calm down after that debacle back in the clearing. It was a highly hormonally charged situation and she didn't blame him for need a little… release.

If he needed time to … do his thing, then she would do her best to play it off as completely normal - not at all weird, or creepy, or hot.

Oops.

Now he was starting to affect HER. When she'd walked, well LIMPED, into the sunlight and called to him, she knew he'd been deep in thought. She'd been completely ready to give him a case of verbal whiplash – how DARE he leave her on that rock for so long, make her worry sick, and then make her walk, barefoot, all over the damn forest to find him!

But, she never expected him to fix her with that LOOK.

It had been enough to stop her heart for a few seconds at least. Even from such a distance, she could practically FEEL the heat and lust radiating from him – especially from his eyes.

When he'd looked at her like that she conveniently forgot her anger. She'd felt positively entranced by those eyes, as if he was staring right through her and into her soul. It sounded corny, but she didn't know how else to describe it. She'd felt as if all of his emotions and feelings transferred over to her just through his eyes.

And, instead of wanting to kill him, she'd wanted only to kiss him.

Then there was that touch…

Now, normally when Remy touched her, Rogue got that warm, tingly feeling anyhow, but this had been MUCH different. This time, it had been Remy who'd felt warm and tingly and caused HER to feel the same. It was almost like he was siphoning all of his feelings and emotions into her.

It was rather unnerving.

The worst thing was that every time they made eye contact those emotions would feel just a little bit stronger, so she had to keep from looking at him even though she felt him staring at her. Those damn vibes were practically radiating off him.

"Well," Rogue said at last, finally steeling herself to look Remy in the eyes, "there's uh, one thing ah think you uh…" she trailed off as Remy met her gaze and transfixed her once again.

"Yeah…?" his eyes drooped slightly as he stared at her.

She felt hers do the same.

"Uh…" what was she going to say? She could barely remember. God his eyes were gorgeous. So was his face… and his lips – which she couldn't stop thinking about.

Oh yeah…

"You uh…" her eyes dropped another fraction and she leaned toward him, closer and closer until they were almost touching.

Until their lips were almost touching…

And she stopped, less than an inch away from him and she turned her head, whispering in his ear.

"You need to …"

"Uh huh?" Remy whispered back, so wrapped up in his own fantasy and desire that he missed the evil smile spreading across her face as she ran her hands down his shoulders.

"… Take a cold bath!"

And with that, she pushed him as hard as she could – thereby throwing Remy, who was completely out of it and unable to help himself, backward into the icy cold river.

When Remy came up for air, gasping and spluttering, Rogue was laughing like a banshee.

Between her guffaws, she moaned in pain and grabbed her ribs, but still she roared on until tears sprang from her eyes.

"You… should see… your face," she announced between moans and giggles.

Finally the shock of the cold wore off and Remy smiled deviously.

"You should see yours," he commented.

"Huh?" Rogue could only mutter one syllable before she was pelted in the face with icy river water. Then she, too, was spluttering and gasping as she wiped the water from her eyes.

"Oh you did NOT just…" Rogue warned before plunging both feet deep in the water and kicking out at Remy, soaking him from head to waist with more water.

Remy retaliated by splashing Rogue with more water, who countered his attack by kicking out at him rapidly, sending a wall of water at him.

Hence the two went on, laughing and splashing each other for at least five more minutes until Rogue was sure she was going to break a few more ribs and Remy was certain he was getting hypothermia.

"Okay, okay," Rogue called at last, "Truce. I can't … take it … any more…"

Remy, who was also laughing, bent over slightly to catch his breath. "_Oui_, (yes) truce. I can't feel m' toes …"

His comment set Rogue to giggling again and she moaned loudly as she doubled over. "Oh god, stop. No more. I can't laugh any more. Please, I'm begging you."

Remy smiled as he straightened, nodding. "_D'accord_ (okay), I'll try not to make y' laugh any more. But, it'd help if y' didn't find Remy's pain and suffering so amusing…"

Rogue bit her lip to keep from giggling yet again.

"Sit tight," Remy called, "Lemme get y'r feet wrapped while we're already wet."

Rogue nodded and waited patiently as Remy retrieved the material and her shoes.

As he sloshed up the shoreline to get the sandals, Rogue couldn't help but chuckle again at the way the way his shoes and socks 'squished' every time he took a step.

Then, instead of leaping from rock to rock again, Remy simply walked right back into the river and over to Rogue.

He deposited the shoes and cloth on an adjacent rock – the same one on which he'd been sitting – before reaching for Rogue's right leg, winding one of the scraps around her toes and working up to her calves.

"Guess this counts as a shower, don't it?" he commented as he finished wrapping her first foot and reached for her sandal.

"Sadly, ah suppose it does," Rogue agreed, her chin quivering as the cold seeped into her bones.

Before Remy was finished with her other foot, both of their teeth were chattering in synchronization.

Remy helped Rogue stand on the rock and held her hand as she stepped from one stone to the other until they reached the shore again. After all, Rogue was a LITTLE drier than Remy was – it didn't make sense for him to pick her up and get her wet again. Even if it was only fair…

As soon as they were both securely on dry land again, Remy began removing his clothes until he was once again clad only in his boxer shorts… which clung to him in all the wrong places. Or the right ones…depending on your point of view…

Rogue stared.

"Uh, _chere_, I know y' find Remy attractive, but it might behoove you t' get outta those wet clothes. Y' can put m' coat on instead."

Rogue shook her self, blushing. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Right."

She turned around and reached for the bottom hem of her dress before she stopped and turned back toward Remy.

"How do ah know you ain't gonna sneak a peak?"

Remy rolled his eyes. **"**Oh come on _chere_,Remy's gotten plenty of peeks already," he winked salaciously, "and besides,I'm a man of integrity. I give y' my word I won't look."

Rogue regarded him apprehensively while simultaneously rolling her eyes. "All right, fine. You close y'r eyes and turn around. That way, I can tell if y' try to look.

With a smile, Remy did as he was told and waited.

Once she was zipped up in Remy's leather jacket (which was far longer than her dress at this point), she inspected herself and, finding the setup satisfactory, called to Remy.

"All right, ah'm done."

"It's about ti…" Remy trailed off as he turned to see Rogue, half swallowed by his duster, and had to suppress an automatic "aww…"

"What?" Rogue asked suspiciously, inspecting herself once again.

"Damn**, **I wish I had a camera right now. Y'r just too darn cute f'r words _chere_."

Rogue rolled her eyes, "Oh stuff a sock in it!" she retorted as she thrust his clothes in his arms.

XXXX

Remy had barely given Rogue a moment's reprieve from the new version of FIFTY questions since they'd left the river. He was obliged to carry her a few miles until he felt it was safe again, but that didn't stop him from pestering her with an endless array of subjects.

He'd bombarded her with stupid questions: 'If you were an animal, what would you be?' Political questions: Who's your ideal Presidential Candidate and why? Heavy religious and spiritual questions: 'Do you believe in a higher power?' and 'What do you think happens when we die?' As well as some off-the-wall questions: 'What's y'r favorite state/ city/ country/ continent/ language/ dog/ cat/ bird/ fish/ mammal/ reptile/ amphibian/Senator/ person/ etc?'

Just when it seemed like he'd finally run out of questions, he'd throw in one that was difficult, thought-provoking or infuriating: 'What do you REALLY think about Kurt bein' your brother'; 'What's one thing you've done in y'r life dat y'r really proud of;' and 'What's your idea of a perfect first date wit' me?'

Frankly, Rogue was getting mighty tired of all the nonsense. Especially when Remy wouldn't even answer the same type of deep, philosophical inquiries with a straight answer. He always managed to weasel his way out of it somehow or another. He'd used misdirection, tried to answer without really answering, exploited the subtle 'getting off on a tangent' tactic, made use of sneaky vague answers, and finally there was the good old fashioned 'changing the subject' maneuver.

Of course, this was perfectly acceptable behavior for him, but as soon as she'd tried it on a difficult question, he'd point out that she hadn't answered honestly and was trying to help Apocalypse again.

Even more infuriating was the fact that when Rogue had called him a hypocrite for doing the EXACT same thing, he'd simply stated that it wasn't about him, it was about her.

She was interrupted in her fuming, however, by yet another question as she walked beside him through the woods.

"If dese were normal circumstances – well, as normal as dey get f'r de likes of us anyhow – and you'd just gained control of y'r powers, what's de first t'ing you'd do? And, what would ya do t' celebrate?"

Rogue tried not to groan at the latest invasion of her privacy. Why would he even ask that? It wasn't like it was going to happen anyhow. Heck, she'd probably be dead – one way or another – within a few days time! Still, she might as well just answer and get it over with. She only had a few more left to go.

"Ah'd uh," she started hesitantly, "ah'd burn all mah clothes and go shoppin' with the gals for a new wardrobe."

The Southerner felt her cheeks redden slightly as she confessed her long-repressed disgust for her bleak outfits.

Remy made a noise in the back of his throat and Rogue couldn't tell if it was from interest, thirst, or amusement, so she bravely forged ahead with an explanation before he could comment.

"Before you ask, no, ah don't really like mah clothes all that much. But, it's all ah've ever found that keeps me covered AND makes people stay away. It's the only way t' keep from hurtin' other people."

"Hmm," Remy considered her answer for a moment, "So what kind o' clothes WOULD you wear?"

Rogue chewed her bottom lip in thought. "Ah've never really considered it before," she stated at last. "Ah'm not into the same stuff as the other gals – especially not Jean and Kitty." She shuddered, imagining herself in Capri pants and polo shirts. Remy laughed, apparently visualizing the same thing.

"Honestly? Ah think ah'd be perfectly happy in a pair of cut-off jeans and a tank top. Summers are unbearable all covered up. Ah don't know how Kurt and Beast deal with it."

Remy laughed again – it was deep, throaty and utterly masculine – and Rogue swallowed abruptly.

"Yeah," the Cajun agreed. "I've caught Creed layin' spread eagle in front of de AC a couple a times. Really solidifies de 'Big Cat' image."

Rogue chuckled along with Remy as she pictured Sabertooth lying complacently in front of a window AC unit. She tried to train her thoughts on JUST Creed, but her thoughts inadvertently wandered to picture herself lying in front of the cool air and from there, her brain 'innocently' inserted Remy into the scene as well.

Rogue immediately stopped laughing and tried not to blush. Again…

"So, y' never did say how you'd celebrate," Remy reminded her as she went quiet. "And I don't believe f'r a second dat you'd ONLY go shoppin' f'r clothes."

"Huh?" Rogue shook her head as she tried to focus on his statement and, thankfully, she was able to stay coherent long enough to pull out of her sudden stupor.

"Oh yeah."

She rolled her eyes.

With a sigh, she decided to simply come clean instead of stewing over an acceptable answer. It wasn't as if Remy believed any of her lies anyhow. He knew almost instinctively when she was telling the truth or not, so it wouldn't be worth it to try and fib her way out of this one.

"Ah've uh… ah've always wanted t' go out dancin' at a club or something, but with mah powers, it's just too risky. Ah suppose that's how ah'd like t' celebrate though… Just get the gang t'gether and dance the night away. 'Course, ah'll be plenty old enough to drink by then, so ah fully intend t' get plastered - and laid too."

Completely caught off guard by her last statement, Remy stopped short and nearly lost his balance. A slow, bemused smile crept onto his face as he shook his head.

"Y'r one hell of an enigma, _chere_, I hope y' know dat."

"Oh please," Rogue scoffed as she continued walking, "ah'm not all THAT puzzlin'."

She was slightly offended that he thought she was so difficult to understand. There wasn't really all that much to her – she mostly wanted to be left alone and hated her powers. It was perfectly simple.

HEwas just too dense to see it.

Remy shook his head in disagreement as he caught up to her again, dipping low and brushing aside the branch of a pine tree. "Yeah, y' really are," he argued, becoming slightly annoyed.

Did she really not see how complex she was?

"No, ah'm not."

Remy huffed, exasperated. "Oh come on! Y'r like a walking contradiction!"

The color rose rapidly in his cheeks as they continued walking, yet he couldn't explain why he was so upset. "Ya wanna be left alone, but y'r lonely and y' hate bein' lonely. Y' don't want attention, but y'r jealous o' others, like Jean, who get it."

Remy watched Rogue's eyes grow dark and angry as he chastised her, but continued ranting even as she tried to cut him off.

"Y' say y' can't stand school or group activities, yet you tried out and took part in dat play f'r Dracula. Y' ACT like y' don't need anybody's help, but you practically self-destruct when y' refuse it! AND, you say y' can't stand y'r powers and de way dey isolate you from everyone, but de MINUTE y' don't have 'em anymore, y'r scared shitless and STILL won't let anyone near ya!"

By the time Remy was through, Rogue could taste blood in her mouth. She hadn't even realized how hard she'd been biting her tongue throughout his tirade. She'd been too preoccupied with her own rage and resentment.

Once again he'd gone from being cute and charming to a completely clueless jerk.

As the gravity of his own words washed over him, Gambit assumed Rogue would be chewing him out or punching him in the OTHER eye within milliseconds, so when she just stood – fists balled at her sides, jaw clenched painfully and eyes aflame – he was a little shocked.

And frightened…

The longer she stood, glaring at him in such a way that made him think he would spontaneously combust, the more anxious Remy became. He swallowed nervously and took a subconscious step back, suddenly afraid of what she would do to him.

He could tell that Rogue was far beyond pissed right now. She was practically the epitome of homicidal. In fact, if Gambit was a gambling man (which he was) he'd bet 10 to 1 odds that she was merely cooking up a way to kill him without a conventional weapon.

Incidentally, Rogue was indeed contemplating the best way of murdering Gambit without sicking Logan on him.

The mere thought of a rabid Wolverine - looking utterly feral and ravenous while foaming at the mouth with his claws extended - chasing after a poor, bedraggled, and terrified Gambit made the edges of Rogue's mouth turn up ever so slightly, resulting in an even more dangerous and sinister-looking expression.

Remy forgot to breathe.

"R- Rogue?" he stammered, taking another two steps back. "Look, _chere_, m' sorry I went off on ya like dat, but _merde_ girl! I've never met anyone in m' life dat is so frustrating and intriguing! Y' drive me crazy! I never know how t' act around you. One second y'r all fun – playin' and talkin' wit' me – and de next y'r angry again. We're takin' one step forward and two steps back in dis stupid little dance, and I don't know de damn moves!"

Remy ran a disgruntled hand through his now-dry, still-disheveled hair and grimaced at the sorry state of the strands. Even after their impromptu 'bath' he was still gross.

He made himself focus on the issue at hand though and sighed, realizing that if he was going to get any where with Rogue, he would have to apologize.

At risk of being punched once more, the Cajun took a quick step forward and extended his hand to Rogue as a peace offering.

Instantly, Rogue flinched and eyed his hand wearily, as if it were toxic.

For a moment, Remy didn't seem to notice her refusal to take his hand, assuming that she was still fuming at him.

"Can we please just call it a truce and TRY t' work t'gether? I can't stop Apocalypse all on my own and neither can you. Face it Rogue, we need each other. You gotta work on dis touching problem o' yours and you need me t' help you. And I, well…" he paused, trying to figure out something to which he could admit needing help. "And I… I'm shit at survivin' in de wilderness. Give me a city street wit' vacationers and I'm set, but I'll die out here in de woods wit'out you t' help me."

He smiled pathetically at Rogue from beneath his mess of hair. It earned him an eye roll and a bemused snort.

He extended his hand a bit farther, trying to get Rogue to take it.

"Can't we just agree t' help each other out?" He tried to look as pathetic as possible and gave her his best puppy eyes. "Please?"

Rogue sighed, but smiled at him nonetheless. Damn, but that boy was cute when he wanted to be. Pitiful, but cute.

"Alright Gambit, we have an agreement. Ah'll try t' help you survive out here and you'll… keep askin' annoyin' questions and such."

"_Parfait_!" he rejoiced and again raised his hand as an indication for her to shake on it.

Rogue didn't move. There was no way she was going to just TOUCH him like that. Not when her hormones were still completely out of whack from that river incident. Sure it started with a handshake, but the way her mind and body were going, she'd go from a simple gesture of agreement to a full-blown make-out session!

Oh GOD! What was wrong with her!?!?!

Quickly ducking her head to hide her rapid blush, Rogue made sure to keep her hands balled at her sides away from Remy.

"Are we gonna shake on it or what?" Remy stared at her in bewilderment, wondering why she was so paranoid about something as simple as a handshake.

A minute ago she looked about ready to kill him, and now she was acting as shy as a newborn lamb.

After a moment or two of silence, Remy dropped his hand and played with his goatee a bit. She sure was a puzzle. He had no idea how they were going to get through this no-touching thing if she couldn't even shake his hand!

"_D'accord_ (okay), since y' don't wanna shake on it, can we just PRETEND we did and move right along?"

Rogue bashfully shook her head in the affirmative.

"Great," Remy replied with a wicked grin, "den we're movin' on t' dis touching t'ing o' yours. I think we've had enough questions for now."

Suddenly, Remy had Rogue's undivided attention as her head shot up to stare at him in disbelief, her mouth gaping like a fish.

Remy held up his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, you agreed to move on, so we're movin' on. Dere's only two things we can work on here and dis is a big one, so we better get goin' wit' it."

Rogue was still speechless, but Remy filled the silence by extending his hand once again.

"Well, come on, take it," he ushered gently, wiggling his fingers at her.

Instead of reaching out with her own hand, however, Rogue stared at his as if it would attack her at any moment. Her eyes were narrowed suspiciously and she crossed her arms over her chest as she regarded him rigidly.

"What's goin' on here _petite_? You were fine back at the river – let me help y' t' shore and everything – and now y'r actin' shy?"

He shook his head, bewildered.

" It ain't gonna bite y' _cherie,_" he chuckled as he watched her with amusement, "s' just a hand. I can put it on y'r shoulder if dat'll make y' feel better."

Remy made to reach for her, but Rogue danced quickly out of the way. He dropped his hand and shook his head at her, laughing. "Y'r worse dan a wild horse, I swear. Y' gotta stop bein' so skittish about a simple touch, _d'accord_?"

Within less than a blink's time, Remy's hand shot out again and gripped Rogue's firmly. His grip was firm enough that she couldn't break free, but gentle enough to not cause her any pain. Still, she tried to pull away to no avail; his palm was wrapped firmly over her knuckles with his fingers locked just above the fragile bones. Every time she pulled, his fingers tightened just enough to keep her locked in place, causing only a slight amount of discomfort.

"Let me go!" Rogue demanded when she realized that struggling against him would get her nowhere.

"_Je suis desole, petite. _Not gonna happen." (sorry little one) Remy rounded on her as he stepped closer and pulled her in to him.

Rogue gasped as Remy moved in and held her so close that their noses were almost touching… again. Granted, he had to look down at her and she up at him, but still… She tried to take another step back, but Remy grasped her other hand and held her in place.

Heart pounding wildly now, Rogue threw her weight back and tried to dislodge both hands. However, she hadn't expected Remy to move with her and she backed into a tree instead.

She couldn't help the gasp that escaped her lips as Remy followed – the gap between them was only a breath's distance now and Rogue felt that familiar flow of adrenaline surge through her as she fought not to panic under the onslaught of her own emotions.

She just couldn't afford to lose her head again. Not like she had at the river. God only knew what would have happened if she hadn't finally found her wits and pushed Gambit in the water! Rogue didn't know if she could bet that strong again.

And she wasn't about to make out with an Acolyte. Logan would have her head!

"Get off me!!" she hollered and tried to throw herself against Gambit to dislodge him.

Remy still held tight and even went a step farther to press himself along her body to keep her from kicking out at him.

"Calm y'rself _chere_, I ain't gonna hurt you! I'm tryin' to help, remember?" Remy's voice was teeming with frustration at first, but as he finished his sentiment, he forced himself to sound as reassuring as possible to the obviously frightened girl.

But only the Powers That Be had any idea why she was suddenly so skittish. He certainly didn't.

Rogue was breathing heavily and still struggling fiercely against him while refusing to meet his eyes. He could see the violent glare on her face, yet she wasn't directing it at him. Her features twisted underneath an onslaught of emotions. There was fury, desperation, discomfort and even fear, but another more elusive emotion was buried underneath all the others though, and Remy almost missed it.

Until Rogue's muted, almost inaudible moan finally gave her away...

At first, he thought it was from the pain of her broken ribs, but as Rogue's eyes fell closed, her entire body stilled except for her hips, which tensed and shifted just enough to tip the Cajun off to the true cause of her discomfort.

Grinning like an idiot, he tried not to acknowledge the source the inner turmoil by coughing slightly and forcing his face into a mask of seriousness.

But still, he knew the truth now … She DID feel more than just loathing toward him and the thought had him smiling again.

He immediately had to reign himself in though, because his own body was responding to this newfound knowledge and he instantly took a miniscule step back so she wouldn't be aware of HIS reaction to her.

"You calm now?" he asked, trying to mask his glee within a tone of impatience.

It seemed that Rogue had finally gotten hold of her own body and emotions, because the sudden glare she fixed him with threw Remy completely off-balance.

"Let. Me. Go. NOW." She punctuated each word with a low, terrorizing growl that made Remy gulp. Despite the obvious threat, however, he stood his ground.

"I already told you, we gotta work on dis fear of touching you've got."

"Who says it's a fear?" she exclaimed, "Ah already told yah, ah jus' don' lahke bein' touched! Now let go a me!!"

"Hush!" he chastised her, "You wanna HELP Apocalypse find us or somethin'? _Merde!_ I don't know how t' make dis any clearer t' you, Rogue, but I. Am. Trying. To. HELP. You!" He shifted uncomfortably as he stared into her murderous eyes.

"Well AH don't know how to make it any clearer to you, but THIS…" she raked her eyes along their bodies and jerked her head in the direction of his arms, which were now holding her hands above her head against the rough bark of the tree. "Not helping."

Remy sighed and let go of Rogue's hands, then took a step back and dropped his head. His hair, still shiny with oil and clumped with mud and dirt, fell across his face, hiding his gleaming red eyes.

"M' sorry _chere_. I just – I don't know how to get through this… this WALL you've put up around you. You want your space and I get that, but we've got something MUCH bigger to worry about than your dislike of skin contact."

He took another step back as his shoulders drooped dismally. "I can't force you though. Dat'll just make it worse, and I'd rather fight Apocalypse alone den have you look at me like dat every time I try t' touch you."

Another labored sigh fell from Remy's lips and Rogue stared at him as he shook his head and started to turn around.

She was torn. The prospect of letting Remy touch her – in any way – was both thrilling and terrifying. She didn't think she could keep herself from trembling under his hands. On the other hand, if she didn't work on this now, with him, and Apocalypse caught her…

"Remy, wait!" she called as he slowly picked his way through the underbrush. Despite the pain in her ribs, she jogged the few paces to catch up.

Biting her lower lip, Rogue swallowed hard and took a deep breath as she stared at his feet. "Ah'm… Ah'm sorry. Ah wanna… Ah wanna TRY." She finally looked up to see him smiling gently. It was encouraging, and she managed a meek half-smile back at him.

Slowly, he held out his hand, palm up, and she stared at his long, calloused fingers for a moment. She lifted her hand and, with only a slight moment of hesitation, placed it on top of Remy's.

"See. Wasn't that hard, was it?" He asked with a self-satisfied smirk.

Rogue rolled her eyes at him, but returned the smile nonetheless. It was small, but genuine, and it lit her face beautifully.

"Now don't go gettin' all cocky on me Cajun. Just 'cause ah'm touchin' your hand don't mean ah like ya or anything. This is business, that's all."

Remy refused to be brought down though, and continued grinning like a maniac. "Uh huh. You just keep tellin' y'rself dat Roguey. You know y'r fallin' for Remy."

In response, Rogue raised an eyebrow and fixed him with a doubtful expression as she dropped her hand from his. "Not even in your wildest dreams Gambit…" she chastised him, then added, "and don't call me Roguey."

"Okay Roguey," he agreed with a cheeky grin.

Rogue rolled her eyes again and sighed. "Yer freakin' hopeless. Ah hope ya know that. Just like some little eight-year-old boy. Next thing ah know, you'll be playin' the copy cat game."

"Ooohh," Remy's eyes went wide as he pondered the possibilities. "Dat's a GREAT idea _chere_, Gambit'll have to remember dat one."

Smacking herself in the forehead, Rogue grimaced. Fantastic, now she was giving him suggestions? What was wrong with her?

"And while we're at it, will you PLEASE stop callin' me _chere_, too? Ah ain't yer _chere_, Swamp Rat.

With an awful grin, Remy waggled his eyebrows at her. "I see we're back to de pet names, eh _mignon_ (cutie)? Gambit would LOVE to comply wit' y'r request, but dat's just not possible. Nothin' personal, 's just dat I call all de _femmes_ (women) dat. _Chere, petite, fille_ (dear, little one, girl) – 's just my way. _Desole_. (Sorry)."

"Whatever," Rogue waved her hand at him dismissively and continued walking.

"Now wait just a minute, here," he replied and dashed after her, putting a hand on her shoulder. Rogue immediately turned and tried to shrug his hand off her bare skin, but Remy would have none of it.

"You and I both need t' rest for a while and dis seems as good a spot as any. Plus, we need to try workin' on the touchin' thing f'r a bit."

Rogue eyed his hand on her shoulder and fixed him with a suspicious glare, not liking the way this was going. "What exactly do you mean by workin' on it?" She finally smacked his hand away and took a step back, automatically crossing her arms over her chest with one hip jutting out defiantly.

"I mean," he said as he took a step toward her, "dat we gotta work on your fear of bein' touched."

He reached out to her again, as if to grab her shoulder, and Rogue shied away instinctively.

"See what I mean?"

This dance they were playing was starting to get redundant. Every time he got close to her, she'd jump away like a feral cat. Try as he might, he couldn't get her to be comfortable with him and it was really becoming bothersome. Remy had always been good with the girls. They usually melted right into his hands like warm butter. But this one… this one was challenging. He had tried almost every move he knew and hadn't gotten anywhere!

"Come on," he motioned to a fallen tree nearby and headed toward it, finding a spot on the lower end. "Have a seat. We're going to try something."

Rogue watched him warily, as if waiting for him to suddenly attack.

Why did he want her to sit down next to him? Why weren't they walking more? They should be trying to put more distance between themselves and Apocalypse, not experimenting with her aversion to touch.

"You ever played 'Patty Cake' _cherie_?" Remy asked with a bemused grin.

The girl in question cocked an eyebrow at him quizzically.

"I'll take dat as a 'no' den," he replied with a laugh. "Well, first of all it's a game for _les petite enfants_, _mais,(_little children, but) I t'ink we'll make an exception dis time. It's _tres_ (very) simple. You just clap y'r hands together like dis," he demonstrated by clapping his hands together in front of him lightly, "den, you clap hands wit' de person sitting across from you. Dere's typically a lot of other motions, too, but we'll skip those ones. I wanna work on just de clapping part."

Rogue's eyebrow was still cocked suspiciously as she watched him, but as he fixed her with a pointed stare, she finally sighed and sat down across from him.

"First I wanna see you put y'r hands on top a mine," he coached gently as Rogue tried to make herself comfortable on the log. Remy held out both his hands, palm up, and waited for her to place her own hands on his.

He could see Rogue fighting with herself - the cogs in her head were practically visible to him as a flurry of emotions darted briefly across her face.

Finally, she tentatively lifted her hands into the air and placed them just above Remy's, letting them hover for a moment before she took a deep breath and quickly forced them to touch his.

With a wide smile, Remy congratulated her. "Nice job, _cherie_. See? It gets easier every time, don't it?"

Rogue flashed him a small, nervous smile, but said nothing in response.

For her, it wasn't just about the history with her powers any more, it was also about the implications of touching HIM. Remy affected her in a way no one else ever had and it was frightening.

After a moment, Remy removed his hands and asked Rogue to put her own out, palm up so he could place his hands on hers. As his hands slowly descended on hers, however, she flinched slightly and tried to remove them, but Remy reached out and caught the nervous digits.

Rogue inhaled sharply, but quickly took a deep breath and forced herself to relax, knowing that this was extremely important to their ultimate survival.

Gambit shook his head with amusement. She really WAS just like a foal. He released her hands, but didn't break skin contact.

"Dat's good, _chere, _real good. Now we clap," he demonstrated for her once more and with a roll of the eyes, Rogue followed his movements as she, too, clapped her hands together quietly. "_Bien_, (good) now let's try clapping them wit' each other."

X

Rogue took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. This really wasn't a big deal. Remy couldn't tell what was going on in her head and since she had no powers, she couldn't see his thoughts either. Plus, it was simple hand contact. It wasn't like she was nude or anything. At least, not anymore…

She watched Remy extend his hands toward her again, palms vertical, and she forced herself to do the same, chanting to herself all the while:

'_Nothing's gonna happen; nothing's gonna happen; nothing's gonna happen._'

She sang the silent mantra as she finally made skin contact with Remy's hands and smiled gingerly at his glorious praising of her accomplishment.

He continued on, clapping his hands together and then extending them to meet hers, and as they did so, he sang a little song about Patty Cake.

Rogue was far too focused on controlling her breathing and emotions to even heed the words of the song though. She didn't notice the curious, yet proud look in Remy's eyes, nor did she see the soft, sweet smile that graced his lips as he sang. Instead, she focused only on the rhythmic clapping and her internal mantra to reassure herself that she no longer had her powers and that nothing was, in fact, going to happen.

But oh how wrong she was…

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Okay, one: I'm sorry this took FOREVER. I'm absolutely convinced that this story is jinxed and unless I only update one page at a time over a very long period of time, it will continue making my life miserable.

That said, crap happened since the last update, I dealt with it, updated and now I'm posting.

Two: sorry for the bold. I need to take those parts out to make it PG-13 acceptable.

Three: No, I hope it won't take as long to update the next installment and no, this update was not nearly as long as I would have liked (although it WAS 67 pages).

Four: Thank you for your reviews. It reminds me that people DO miss the story and that it IS worth pursuing.

Five: Love and Light!!

Wiccamage


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